A young Sydney woman’s routine manicure in Double Bay turned into a medical emergency that left her fighting for her life, after a fast spreading infection forced surgeons to amputate part of her thumb.
Woman Nearly Dies After Infection
The incident happened in February 2024, when 27 year old Claudia Ruffin visited a nail salon in the eastern suburbs for what she expected to be a simple beauty appointment. Within hours of leaving the salon, she felt unwell and experienced racing heartbeats, blurry vision and numbness in her toes.
A friend took her to St Vincent’s Hospital, where doctors noted concerning blood results and kept her overnight. By the next morning, her thumb had become swollen, and staff saw red lines rising from the thumb to her neck, signalling a dangerous infection moving through her body.
Rapid Decline After Symptoms Began
Claudia said the swelling on her thumb spread fast and within an hour the thumb had turned dark. Doctors moved quickly once they saw how rapidly the infection was rising through her arm.
She was taken into emergency surgery where surgeons removed infected tissue and later told her the issue came from Strep bacteria likely entering through a cut to her cuticle. She said she spent a month in hospital, went through six surgeries and a skin graft, and remembered little of the early days because of how severe the infection was.
Long Recovery And Lasting Effects
Claudia said surgeons removed the tip of her thumb down to the nail bed to stop the infection. A plastic surgeon rebuilt the area, but she still struggled with movement and had no full sensation. Daily tasks such as fastening buttons or putting on earrings stayed difficult.
Claudia said the experience was painful physically and mentally. She described fevers, migraines and strong discomfort during her stay. She credited a close friend who urged her to go to the emergency department earlier than planned, saying quick action likely saved her life.
Community Warning About Salon Safety
Claudia shared her story on social media to warn people about how fast sepsis spreads and why early symptoms matter. She said she did not check the salon’s sterilisation practices and urged others to watch hygiene when booking nail services. She said she remembered her cuticle being clipped and saw tools being shared between technicians.
Health authorities say treatments that break the skin, like cuticle cutting or pushing, let bacteria enter the bloodstream if tools are not sterilised. They warn that sepsis becomes life threatening within hours and note that more than 55,000 Australians develop the condition each year.
Published 02-December-2025
