Sydney woman in intensive care after suspected botulism case linked to anti-wrinkle injection
Sydney woman in intensive care after suspected botulism case linked to anti-wrinkle injection
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NSW Health urges community to only receive cosmetic injections from authorised practitioners. A Sydney woman is in intensive care following a suspected case of botulism linked to an unregulated home anti-wrinkle injection. The case prompted New South Wales Health to issue an alert urging the community to only receive cosmetic anti-wrinkle injections from authorised practitioners or risk “serious harm and … death”.
The 51-year-old woman received the unregulated anti-wrinkle injection at a home in Guildford on 11 January, NSW police alleged. She was admitted to Auburn hospital on Friday before being transferred to Westmead hospital, where she remained in a stable condition on Saturday morning receiving intensive care.
A spokesperson for NSW police, which was working with the Health Care Complaints Commission and NSW Health on the incident, said inquiries continued into the case. “Police are working with medical authorities after a complaint was made to Cumberland Police Area Command concerning a cosmetic procedure reportedly conducted at a home in Guildford,” police said.
Botulism is caused when a toxin attacks the body’s nerves and causes muscle weakness in the face, mouth and throat. Symptoms can appear for up to two weeks following injections, NSW Health advised, and include worsening weakness, difficulty swallowing, drooping eyelids, blurred vision and trouble breathing.
