Is acupuncture safe in Hong Kong, and how to avoid ‘flesh-eating infection’?

A case of “flesh-eating infection” which has left a 47-year-old man with his left lower leg amputated after acupuncture treatment has sparked public concerns over the safety of the traditional Chinese medicine practice in Hong Kong.

The Post looks into the incident, the risks of acupuncture-associated infections, and how patients can better protect themselves.

What happened to the patient?

The Centre for Health Protection on Tuesday revealed a case of a 47-year-old man who underwent an amputation of his left lower leg two days after developing a Group A Streptococcal infection, following acupuncture treatment he received at two traditional Chinese medicine clinics.

The man developed a fever and left thigh pain on April 11 and subsequently sought care from a private hospital, where he was diagnosed with septic shock and necrotising fasciitis, commonly known as “flesh-eating infection”.

The man, who had underlying illnesses, was transferred to Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam the next day and underwent a left lower limb amputation on April 13. His clinical specimens tested positive for Group A Streptococcus.

According to the centre, the man received acupuncture treatments on April 7, 9 and 10 from two registered traditional Chinese medicine practitioners in Sheung Wan and Causeway Bay.