Warning about poisoning from eating toad meat and eggs.

The Intensive Care and Toxicology Department of Phu Tho Provincial General Hospital recently successfully treated a 58-year-old female patient from Cam Khe district who suffered from food poisoning after eating toad meat and eggs. One hour after consuming the toad meat and eggs, Ms. C. showed symptoms of poisoning: vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. She was taken to the district medical center and then immediately transferred to Phu Tho Provincial General Hospital for emergency treatment.

The patient was admitted to the Intensive Care and Toxicology Unit of Phu Tho Provincial General Hospital with abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, frequent loose stools, and chest tightness. Doctors quickly conducted clinical and paraclinical examinations, discovering that the patient had a history of good health, but the electrocardiogram showed bradycardia. Immediately, the patient was prescribed emergency gastric lavage, activated charcoal infusion, and medication to continuously raise blood pressure and heart rate.

After 5 hours of emergency treatment, the patient was out of danger, and their heart rate and blood pressure were stable. After 3 days of monitoring and intensive treatment, the patient was conscious, no longer experiencing chest pain, their heart rate and blood pressure were normal, and their health gradually recovered.

According to Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai, Head of the Intensive Care and Toxicology Department at Phu Tho Provincial General Hospital: “Toads contain the toxins bufodienonid and bufotoxin throughout their skin, salivary glands (parotid glands), internal organs, and eggs. Toads can cause poisoning throughout their entire life cycle: eggs, tadpoles, young toads, and adult toads. Toad venom can cause dangerous symptoms in the digestive, respiratory, nervous, and especially cardiovascular systems.”

According to folk beliefs, eating toad meat helps to improve health and treat malnutrition; however, during preparation, toad venom can easily contaminate the meat, causing poisoning. Therefore, doctors advise people not to cook toad meat because its venom can be life-threatening, and the nutritional value of toad meat is no different from other types of meat. If symptoms of poisoning occur after eating toad meat, the patient should be immediately taken to the nearest medical facility for prompt first aid and emergency treatment.