Ministry of Health investigates case of 1 death, 4 hospitalized due to suspected alcohol poisoning

The Ministry of Health has just received a quick report from the Department of Food Safety and Hygiene of Quang Ninh province about a suspected poisoning case caused by using wine soaked with strange leaves collected from the forest.

The Food Safety Department (Ministry of Health) has sent Official Dispatch No. 42/ATTP-NDTP to the Quang Ninh Department of Health requesting investigation and handling of the case.

Specifically, at around 11am on January 9, in Trai Loc village, An Sinh commune, a group of 6 men sat down to eat and drink. After finishing about 1 liter of white wine bought from a local restaurant, the remaining 5 continued to drink wine soaked with forest roots.

Alcohol poisoning can appear immediately or after some time after drinking, depending on the level of poisoning.

At around 1 p.m. the same day, except for one person who did not drink the wine, the remaining five people showed symptoms such as dizziness, itching, heavy eyelids, blurred vision, drowsiness and fatigue. All five people were taken to Dong Trieu City Medical Center. However, one of them died that afternoon.

The Food Safety Department has directed the Quang Ninh Provincial Department of Health to focus on treating patients and not to affect their health and lives.

If necessary, the agency requests consultation support from higher-level hospitals. In addition, the Food Safety Department also emphasizes the need to increase propaganda and guidance for people on food safety and measures to prevent poisoning, especially not to use strange plants and animals to soak in wine.

The Ministry of Health also requested the Quang Ninh Department of Health to strictly implement the instructions of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Health on preventing food poisoning, especially during the Tet holiday, when gatherings to eat and drink increase.

Alcohol poisoning can appear immediately or after some time after drinking, depending on the severity of the poisoning. Common symptoms include headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and difficulty breathing. In severe cases, poisoning can cause a person to fall into a coma or lose consciousness.

There are many causes of alcohol poisoning, the two main causes being drinking too much alcohol in a short period of time and using fake or poor quality alcohol.

Drinking a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time causes the body to not be able to eliminate alcohol in time, leading to acute drunkenness with dangerous symptoms such as impaired consciousness and difficulty breathing. Meanwhile, fake or poor quality alcohol can contain methanol (industrial alcohol) or other toxic substances, causing serious poisoning, affecting the liver, kidneys and nervous system.

Authorities have warned that the risk of alcohol poisoning will increase during the holidays, when many people abuse alcohol. According to Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, Director of the Poison Control Center at Bach Mai Hospital, artisanal alcohol is often mixed with methanol to increase the alcohol concentration and reduce production costs.

Methanol when entering the body will be converted into formic acid and formaldehyde, causing serious damage to the liver, kidneys and nervous system, which can lead to blindness or death.

To minimize the risk of alcohol poisoning, especially during the holidays, people need to follow some basic principles. First, drink alcohol in moderation and do not exceed the allowed level, avoid drinking alcohol on an empty stomach. When feeling drunk, stop drinking and switch to drinking water or non-alcoholic beverages to help the body recover.

Second, people need to choose wine with clear origin and ensure to buy wine from reputable establishments, with clear labels and expiry dates. Avoid buying wine of unknown origin or fake, poor quality wine.

Third, when drinking alcohol, avoid combining it with unsafe foods or medications that can cause dangerous reactions. Alcohol can interact with certain medications, increasing the risk of damage to the liver, kidneys, and digestive system.

Finally, relatives need to pay attention to monitor the drunk person. If the drunk person is still conscious, feed them foods containing sugar and starch such as rice, potatoes, milk, and sweetened fruit juice to avoid hypoglycemia. If the drunk person shows dangerous signs such as loss of vision or coma, they need to be taken immediately to a medical facility for emergency treatment.

In particular, when methanol poisoning is suspected, symptoms may not appear immediately but may take up to a day. If not treated promptly, the risk of death is very high.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/bo-y-te-vao-cuoc-vu-1-nguoi-tu-vong-4-nguoi-nhap-vien-do-nghi-ngo-doc-ruou-d240273.html