Woman nearly died from scratching with a rusty nail
'07.06.2018'
Source: Fox News
The woman spent one month in intensive care and almost lost her leg due to the fact that she contracted a rare and carnivorous bacterium after scratching a rusty nail.
38-year-old Colleen O'Connor helped her friends repair a dilapidated house when she scratched her left foot on a nail sticking out of a wall.
Four days later, the woman woke up from the excruciating pain in the other leg, which, in her opinion, was injured during one of the regular exercises in the gym or kickboxing.
The pain did not go away, and her parents took her to the emergency room, where she lost consciousness.
She woke up through 10 days after three operations at Welland County Hospital. Doctors diagnosed her with necrotizing fasciitis, a rapidly spreading infection that affects about 20 000 people in the United States per year and is caused by bacteria that create toxins that destroy tissue.
Doctors discovered black mold, which is believed to have entered the body from a rusty nail, and caused the infection.
From August to October 2017, the doctors closed the 97 wound with staples, and the woman learned to walk again.
“I got scratched by a rusty nail sticking out of the wall,” she said, recalling the incident. "It was deep enough, but it was just a nail scratch."
“It happened on Friday and I was fine all weekend, but on Monday I slept all day,” O'Connor said. - On Tuesday I woke up with excruciating pain in my right leg. It was like seizures. "
“I screamed in pain and cried. My parents decided to take me to the hospital, - says the woman. “I thought I could get over the pain or something. I don’t remember anything, but my mother noticed that my leg began to swell. The doctors said the infection was oozing out of me. "
“They told my family and friends that I would die that night,” she added.
Doctors warned relatives that if a woman survives, she will have to amputate her leg and arm, since the area of the lesion was large.
Fortunately, the infection was quickly stopped, and it did not reach the fibrous tissue that covers the muscles.
If the infection continued to spread, the woman might have lost her leg or died altogether.
The scar on her leg, which stretches from the upper thigh to the calf, is a constant reminder of what she has gone through.
“I am very lucky to be alive. I am still here and I still have a leg. I could wake up without her, she said. I just want other people to be careful. You never know what's in there, she [infection - ed. ForumDaily] just finds his way and spreads so fast. ”
