14 patients suspected of food poisoning tested negative for methanol and ethanol

Doctor Nguyen Manh Chien - Poison Control Center, Bach Mai Hospital said, 14 patients showed symptoms of different levels of poisoning; digestive disorders: abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea; neurological disorders: headache, some cases of delirium, impaired consciousness; circulatory failure; metabolic acidosis with increased lactate.

5 patients showed signs of septic shock and required intensive care, blood filtration, and even endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation. Of these, 2 were transferred to the Intensive Care Center and Emergency Center to reduce the load; 2 cases were mild, the remaining 7 cases were in moderate or severe condition.

Severe patients require intubation, mechanical ventilation, and dialysis.

The family of the seriously ill patient who had to use a ventilator and dialysis said that after attending the event, his father returned from Hanoi to Bac Giang . On the way, he had symptoms of nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and headache. He was taken to the district hospital for examination and transferred to Bach Mai hospital for treatment.

Through testing, it was shown that the prominent condition of the patients was a syndrome of severe infection and poisoning, with a state of metabolic acidosis with increased lactate, mild myocardial damage with myocardial inhibition, and peripheral vasodilation.

Of the 5 samples, 4 samples detected different types of pathogenic E.coli bacteria (enteritis-causing E.coli - EPEC, enterotoxigenic E.coli - ETEC, enterocoagulant E.coli - EAEC) and Campylobacter bacteria.

Regarding toxicology tests, 14 patients tested negative for methanol and ethanol in their blood. Other toxicology samples are awaiting results from the National Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene Control and the National Institute of Forensic Medicine.

Although patients have many symptoms consistent with an infection, there are also symptoms that do not exclude chemical poisoning or slow-acting toxins (which may have a slow effect or be metabolized in the body to cause toxicity after many hours).

Female patient and other patients in the poisoning case

14 patients have been and are being actively treated with emergency measures, resuscitation, blood filtration, mechanical ventilation and a combination of broad-spectrum antibiotics. Up to now, the 5 most severe patients in critical condition have begun to show signs of improvement, the remaining 9 patients have improved well, with very little chance of worsening.

However, according to Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen - Director of the Poison Control Center, Bach Mai Hospital, with the complex, severe, and acute characteristics of the cases and incidents, it is still necessary to closely monitor, continue to evaluate, and actively treat them. Having more new information can help the patients recover and reach a final conclusion.

Doctors recommend that people who attend parties, especially those who drink alcohol, should immediately go to a specialized medical facility for examination if they show any unusual symptoms.

Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/ha-noi-14-benh-nhan-vu-nghi-ngo-doc-thuc-pham-am-tinh-voi-methanol-ethanol.html