A child with sepsis died after family members attempted a folk remedy involving cutting the child's body with a razor blade.

Recently, doctors in the Intensive Care Unit of the National Children's Hospital treated a 10-year-old boy suffering from sepsis, multiple organ failure, and drug poisoning due to his family's self-administration of unverified herbal medicine and attempts at folk remedies involving razor blade incisions to drain toxic blood from his body. Despite the doctors' best efforts, the child passed away.

According to Dr. Hoang Kim Lam, Head of the Intensive Care Unit at the National Children's Hospital, eight days prior to admission, the child had developed a cough, fever, cold hands and feet, shortness of breath, and fatigue at home. The family bought a dried medicinal herb (of unknown origin) from the market, chopped it up, and brewed it into a decoction for the child to drink. They also attempted folk remedies, such as using a razor blade to make small incisions on the child's body to treat the illness.

Seeing that the child's condition did not improve, the family took him to a district-level hospital, and then to a provincial-level hospital for treatment. There, the child exhibited symptoms such as fever, fatigue, jaundice, yellowing of the sclera, edema of both eyelids, abdominal distension, liver and kidney failure, respiratory failure, and anuria. The child was then transferred to the National Children's Hospital for treatment, requiring manual ventilation via endotracheal tube.

A child died from septicemia after family members treated the illness by making incisions on the child's body (Figure 1). — The patients are being treated at the National Children's Hospital.

At the National Children's Hospital, the child was diagnosed with sepsis and multiple organ failure. The child received intensive treatment: respiratory support, shock management, broad-spectrum antibiotics, continuous hemodialysis, and intensive care. Despite the doctors' best efforts, the child did not respond to treatment and died one day after hospitalization.

Associate Professor Dr. Ta Anh Tuan – Head of the Intensive Care Unit, National Children's Hospital, stated that treating children by using razor blades to squeeze (or cut) and draw blood is a completely unscientific method, and parents or caregivers should absolutely not do this.

Implementing the aforementioned method endangers the child's life due to blood loss and the disruption of the body's natural bacterial barrier, allowing bacteria to directly enter the body and cause sepsis. Furthermore, this delay in getting the child to the hospital wastes crucial time for saving their life.

A child died from septicemia after family members treated the illness by making incisions on the child's body (Figure 2). — Using razor blades to squeeze or cut wounds to treat children is a completely unscientific method (Illustrative image).

Doctors advise that parents should consult a doctor before using any medication or treatment method for their children. Parents should not, out of impatience, listen to advice or advertisements about medications of unknown origin or unscientific treatment methods, as this can lead to unpredictable complications and even death for their children.

Furthermore, when parents notice any unusual symptoms in their children, the most important thing they should do is quickly take them to a specialized medical facility for timely examination and treatment.

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