After drinking with colleagues, the 28-year-old man had difficulty breathing and was drowsy. The doctor discovered that he had severe alcohol poisoning and could not survive.
On January 8, Doctor Nguyen Tien Dat – Poison Control Center, Bach Mai Hospital, said that the patient was transferred from a lower level medical facility when he was in critical condition, had severe metabolic acidosis, and was in a coma due to poisoning. methanol.
Two days ago, the patient drank alcohol with colleagues, then felt tired but still returned to his wife’s hometown in Phu Xuyen district, Hanoi. Here, he had difficulty breathing and was taken to a local hospital. However, the condition worsened, consciousness became drowsy, the doctor had to intubate and transfer to Bach Mai Hospital.
Here, the patient received mechanical ventilation and dialysis for 8 hours. Tests showed that the methanol concentration in the blood was 103 mg/dl, 5 times higher than the toxic level. The man was in a deep coma, lost reflexes, suffered complications from serious brain hemorrhage, and had a very high risk of death. The family asked to be taken home, but the patient later died.
Doctor treating patient. Image: Doctor provided
Methanol poisoning often occurs when drinking alcohol of unknown origin, counterfeiting, or using industrial alcohol mixed into alcohol. Initially, symptoms such as staggering and dizziness are easily mistaken for being drunk. After 1-2 days, the toxic substance metabolizes causing blurred vision, respiratory disorders, convulsions, and coma. Other signs include pale skin and lips, less urination, and more vomiting. People poisoned with methanol often have serious sequelae and a high risk of death.
The time for symptoms of poisoning depends on the methanol concentration, and can occur after only 30 minutes if the methanol level is high.
Doctors recommend that when there are signs such as blurred vision, decreased vision, headache, nausea, disturbance of consciousness, or convulsions, people need to immediately go to a medical facility for timely emergency treatment.