Cho Ray Hospital doctor carries antidote to save carp poisoning victim in Quang Nam

Late on March 18, Cho Ray Hospital announced that it had just sent a team of hospital experts to bring antidote to save people in Quang Nam .

Accordingly, on the same morning, Cho Ray Hospital received a phone call from the Northern Quang Nam Regional General Hospital requesting professional support for poisoning cases that the hospital was receiving and treating. After an online consultation between the two hospitals, Cho Ray Hospital doctors thought a lot about the issue of Botulinum poisoning.

10 người ngộ độc do ăn cá chép ở Quảng Nam, BV Chợ Rẫy đem thuốc hiếm đi cứu - Ảnh 1.

Doctors focus on saving people

The Director of Cho Ray Hospital immediately assigned a support team to go directly to the Northern Quang Nam Regional General Hospital to coordinate the treatment of the patient. The team members include leading experts in emergency resuscitation, anti-poison resuscitation and medicine. In addition, the support team of Cho Ray Hospital also brought 5 vials of Botulism Antitoxin Heptavalent (BAT) used to treat Clostridium Botulinum poisoning, a very rare drug.

Initial information, the first cluster of cases included 5 people, including: 3 women, 2 men living in Phuoc Duc commune, Phuoc Son district, Quang Nam province. All 5 people ate pickled carp on March 5. After eating for 12-24 hours, all had symptoms of abdominal pain, vomiting, fatigue, weakness in limbs and were admitted to the Northern Quang Nam Mountainous Region General Hospital. After 3 days of treatment, 1 case, a 40-year-old female patient, died, the remaining 4 cases are currently in stable condition.

The second cluster of cases is a female patient born in 1986 in Phuoc Chanh commune, Phuoc Son district. The patient ate pickled carp on March 14. After 1 day, the patient vomited a lot, gradually weakened her limbs and was admitted to the Northern Quang Nam Regional General Hospital. By March 16, the patient had respiratory failure and has been on a ventilator to date.

10 người ngộ độc do ăn cá chép ở Quảng Nam, BV Chợ Rẫy đem thuốc hiếm đi cứu - Ảnh 2.

Many cases of poisoning due to eating pickled carp in Quang Nam

The third cluster of cases is 4 people in the same family, including 3 men and 1 woman in Phuoc Kien commune, Phuoc Son district, Quang Nam province. On March 16, the whole family ate pickled carp, and on March 17, they vomited a lot, felt tired, and were admitted to the Northern Quang Nam Regional General Hospital. On March 18, 2 patients had quadriplegia, respiratory failure, and needed ventilators. The remaining 2 patients (1 12-year-old boy and 1 24-year-old woman) were exhausted, had mild weakness in all four limbs, had muscle strength of 4/5-5/5, and could breathe on their own.

10 người ngộ độc do ăn cá chép ở Quảng Nam, BV Chợ Rẫy đem thuốc hiếm đi cứu - Ảnh 3.

Cho Ray Hospital doctor brings rare antidote to save poisoned patient

Initial assessment: All 3 clusters of cases ate the same food: pickled carp. During the preparation of this food, it must be put in a sealed glass container and taken out after 2-3 weeks (creating anaerobic conditions for the growth of Clostridium Botulinum bacteria). After eating ≤ 24 hours, all had symptoms of digestive disorders with increasing weakness in the limbs. Severe cases led to respiratory failure due to muscle paralysis and required mechanical ventilation. However, all were conscious and able to communicate.

With full clinical and epidemiological criteria, doctors at Cho Ray Hospital diagnosed the above clusters of cases as: Botulinum poisoning due to eating pickled carp. With the above diagnosis, 3 seriously ill patients on ventilators (1 female, 2 males) were prescribed the antidote for Clostridium Botulinum toxin poisoning. At 6:30 p.m. the same day, the results of the culture test of pickled carp samples conducted by the Nha Trang Pasteur Institute identified Clostridium Botulinum type E (+).

Regarding treatment: 3 seriously ill patients on ventilators were each given 1 vial of BAT, closely monitored for anaphylaxis during and after the infusion. Closely monitored for arrhythmia complications and cared for patients on ventilators. The remaining 2 patients continued to be closely monitored for their weakness to decide whether to use BAT or not.

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