A "disproportionate" spike in severe infections at the site of ear piercings in the Hunter has prompted a warning from a Newcastle ear, nose and throat surgeon.
A contaminated batch of antiseptic spray being sold at a popular ear piercing chain had contributed to a "perfect storm" of problems that gave rise to a "sudden burst" of patients presenting to hospital for treatment, Dr Niall Jefferson said.
The otolaryngology department director at John Hunter Hospital said they had noticed an influx of people presenting with acute skin infections that had required intravenous antibiotics and surgery.
Dr Jefferson said these skin infections, known as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, put people at risk of permanent deformities.
"We see these cases every now and again, because they are one of the complications related to ear piercings," Dr Jefferson said. "But they are relatively infrequent - we'd probably only see a few of these acute infections in a year. But we had a bit of a burst over the course of two weeks where we had quite a lot of people admitted for IV antibiotics with an abscess in their ear that needed to go to the operating room for surgical drainage."
A junior doctor had noted the pattern, and on further investigation, it was found to be a state-wide problem. The discovery prompted NSW Health to issue a warning to clinicians of the rise in Pseudomonas aeruginosa skin infections after ear piercing procedures.
"It was subsequently found that one of the ear piercing chains was using an antiseptic spray that had been contaminated, so although people were doing the right thing by trying to care for their piercings, what they were putting on there was in fact contributing to the risk of infection," Dr Jefferson said.
"My understanding is that the company involved had stopped using it and were seeking out their clients to get them to stop using that particular solution so that it didn't progress."
Dr Jefferson said all of the cases seen in the Hunter were "cartilage piercings" in the upper ear.
"Piercings through the lobules, the soft part of the ear, we consider the safest ones to get, because there is a lot of good blood supply," he said. "The ones in the more firm, cartilage-based part of the ear are at an increased risk of getting infections.
"Most people will have them quite safely, and you're more likely to get an infection within a month of the piercing - so it is more a matter of keeping a close eye on it, and making sure it stays really clean. But if you do start to see some infection or inflammation, seek help early from your GP. The longer you leave it, the greater the risk that it can progress to something more significant."
