Saving an old lady who mistakenly took her grandson's drug addiction treatment medicine

Methadone (a drug used as a substitute for heroin or other opioid addicts) was contained in a soft drink bottle, causing the old woman to accidentally drink it and be hospitalized in a deep coma, with pupils as small as needle tips and severe respiratory failure.

According to Thanh Nhan Hospital ( Hanoi ), the old woman was taken to the Emergency Department in critical condition.

The emergency team immediately placed an endotracheal tube, connected her to a ventilator, and performed intensive resuscitation to save her life. After urgent interventions, the old woman gradually regained consciousness but encountered an unpredictable complication: her respiratory muscles were completely paralyzed, making her completely dependent on a ventilator.

After toxicology testing, brain MRI, assessment of respiratory myasthenia and rare neuromuscular diseases, no cause of the patient's illness was found.

While all hypotheses were at a standstill, family members said that before that, the old man had drunk a bottle of soft drink in the house.

An old woman was saved after accidentally taking Methadone.

Immediately, a sample of the soft drink was sent for testing. The results from the National Institute of Forensic Medicine confirmed that the bottle contained Methadone – a drug used by a family member’s nephew to treat drug addiction.

According to doctors, Methadone is not included in the routine toxicology screening list, so it was not detected in the initial tests. A safe maintenance dose for a young person became a fatal dose for an elderly woman's weakened body, causing respiratory failure and severe respiratory muscle paralysis.

Fortunately, after a period of treatment, the old woman escaped death. This is an urgent warning about the dangers of improper storage of drugs and toxic chemicals in the home.

Doctors recommend that people never use soft drink bottles, mineral water bottles or food containers to store toxic substances, whether they are medicines, cleaning chemicals or anything else.

Medicines, especially prescription or highly addictive medicines, should be stored carefully, in locked cabinets, out of reach of children and the elderly.

There is a need to raise awareness of the risk of poisoning in the home, especially in families with people undergoing medical treatment or drug addiction.

Source: https://cand.com.vn/y-te/cuu-song-ba-cu-uong-nham-thuoc-cai-nghien-cua-chau--i781492/