Girl in Ho Chi Minh City got necrosis while soaking in hot water, went to 4 hospitals but still lost her toe

(Dan Tri) - Feeling pain, the 29-year-old girl mixed hot water with salt to soak her feet, but could not feel the temperature and suffered serious consequences.

On June 24, a source from Dan Tri reporter said that Trung Vuong Hospital (HCMC) recently received treatment for a case of severe wound infection.

"Tragedy" after soaking feet in hot water

The patient is Ms. TP (29 years old, living in Ho Chi Minh City). Medical history shows that 2 years ago, when she was 8 weeks pregnant with her first child, the patient had a sudden miscarriage and was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and was prescribed regular insulin injections.

However, because she did not understand her illness, after giving birth, Ms. P. did not treat it properly and often did not inject insulin to control her blood sugar.

About 5 months before being admitted to the hospital, the patient felt constant pain in his legs. Thinking it was due to the consequences of working as a tailor and having to sit at a sewing machine all the time, the patient researched and mixed hot water with salt to soak his feet during Tet.

Female patient P. at the hospital (Photo: HL).

“When I dipped in, I also felt a little hot. My husband told me to soak my feet so that the salt water could drain into them to relieve the pain. About 5 minutes later, when I lifted my feet, the skin on the soles of my feet had blistered, the thin layer of skin peeled off and slowly seeped deeper. At this point, I couldn’t feel anything anymore, my feet were numb,” Ms. P. recounted.

After the incident, Ms. P. went to the local hospital and then to two higher-level hospitals for treatment, but her condition did not improve but gradually became worse.

Upon admission to Trung Vuong Hospital, doctors noted that the patient's two feet were severely necrotic, with burns covering the entire sole of the foot. The patient was treated by the treatment team, had necrotic tissue removed with ultrasound, had a vacuum machine placed, and had skin grafted...

After 1 month of treatment, the patient's wound is gradually healing. However, because the previous necrosis was too severe, the patient had to have a toe on his right foot amputated. This, in addition to being an aesthetic issue, also severely affected the patient's work and life, as P. worked as a tailor and was quite young.

The patient's leg was severely necrotic when he was admitted to the hospital and required long-term treatment (Photo: HL).

Warning to diabetic patients

It is expected that after discharge from the hospital, the patient must strictly adhere to insulin treatment and a strict diet to prevent serious complications of diabetes.

“A few months ago, I only went to the clinic and had an insulin injection once. The clinic also gave me the injections, I didn’t know anything about it. Now I don’t have the health or ability to work as a tailor anymore. I’ll probably just wait for my wound to heal and then look for a light job that I can do with my hands…

The doctor said that I now have to eat on time, not snack on many foods, and pay attention to checking my blood sugar every day, otherwise it will get worse. I want to tell everyone who has diabetes to get treatment early, don't let it be like me and lose my toe," Ms. P. sadly shared.

The leg injury greatly affected the patient's work and life (Photo: HL).

According to the treating doctor, the above patient is a special case, because people with diabetic foot complications are often older (over 50-60 years old), have not taken good care of their feet for a long time, causing blood vessel blockage, so they are vulnerable to injury and ulcers when there is an accident.

Ms. P. is very young and has diabetes. If the patient had followed treatment from the beginning, injected insulin regularly and paid attention to check-ups, the unfortunate consequences mentioned above would not have occurred.

In addition, if intervention is delayed and blood sugar continues to increase, causing more severe necrosis, the patient may have to have their leg amputated, develop a coma, or even be life-threatening.

Doctors warn that people with diabetes often do not recognize the heat of water, so they can easily have accidents with boiling water.

Therefore, when there are signs of loss of sensation, the patient or a relative should carefully check by dipping the thin skin area on the hand (elbow) into water. Only when it feels slightly warm immediately, then the warm water can be used.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/co-gai-o-tphcm-hoai-tu-khi-ngam-nuoc-nong-di-4-benh-vien-van-mat-ngon-chan-20250624110545024.htm