State inspectors are investigating a Ft. Worth, Texas, salon where a 46-year-old paraplegic woman allegedly contracted a staph infection that led to her death.
State inspectors are investigating a Ft. Worth, Texas, salon where a 46-year-old paraplegic woman allegedly contracted a staph infection that led to her death. Family members say Kim Jackson received a pedicure in a whirlpool spa last July. They claim that during the service the technician nicked her foot with a pumice, drawing blood. Jackson was subsequently treated for an MRSA staph infection and died on February 12. Her doctor listed the cause of death as a heart attack due to a staph infection on her foot that infected her blood.
It’s unclear at this point whether staph bacteria were present in the whirlpool spa or were transmitted by the pumice or other means. Although staph can be found in foot spas, it’s common organism that can be found just about anywhere. “The MRSA may not be related to the whirlpool, unlike the mycobacterium that caused the outbreaks in Northern California,” says Dr. Arnold.
In response to the public’s concerns, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation recently adopted new standards requiring implements to be cleaned, disinfected, and sterilized by use of an autoclave, ultraviolet light, or dry heat.
And nail techs should be proactive. “This is where proper examination of the client comes in,” says Dr. Arnold. “Nail techs need to determine whether there should be a pedicure, partial pedicure, or referral to a podiatrist.” When working with a client who is diabetic or has a compromised immune system, Schoon urges nail techs to work with her doctor. “Get written permission from her doctor and keep it in your files,” he says.