Simon Hunter
A WOMAN in the northeastern Spanish city of Zaragoza ended up in intensive care after she received botox injections in a private apartment rather than in an authorised clinic.
For health professionals, the incident has served to raise awareness about a growing ‘black market’ for such esthetic treatments, which are mainly supplied thanks to the theft of botox from legal establishments, according to a report in Spanish daily El Pais.
Botox injections use a toxin to prevent muscles from moving, and as such are a popular method used by men and women to smooth out wrinkles.
Healthcare sources told El Pais that the woman in question, who was described as being ‘middle aged’, suffered iatrogenic botulism, which is an acute intoxication caused by the botox injections.
The condition can be caused either by excessive quantities of botox, or by its incorrect administration.
The symptoms include difficulty swallowing, speaking or breathing, as well as weakness, blurred vision, or paralysis, El Pais reported.
The patient spent several days in intensive care before being moved to a ward, and then was eventually discharged, the same sources told the newspaper.
Treatment for the condition is the use of an antitoxin, which reverses the effects of the botox.
The Guardia Civil has opened an investigation into the incident, but health sources in the Aragon region said that the probe was not progressing given that the patient refused to give any information about the person who administered the botox.
“She would only say that she had come from Madrid,” the same sources told El Pais.
