Alcohol used by patients to gargle. Photo: BVCC.
Hanoi police said they had arrested Pham Dinh Tuan (Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Chuc Son town, Chuong My district) to investigate the act of producing fake medical alcohol, on June 16. According to the initial investigation, Mr. Tuan and his younger brother founded Ngan Ha Company, specializing in producing 70-degree medical alcohol.
However, instead of using ethanol as prescribed, Mr. Tuan directed the use of methanol (in a ratio of 30% water, 70% alcohol). The police seized about 50,000 bottles of fake medical alcohol along with all the machinery and production equipment.
This behavior is considered particularly dangerous to public health, especially when the product is distributed as regular medical alcohol.
Methanol poisoning from fake antiseptic alcohol
Previously, in early June, doctors at the Poison Control Center, Bach Mai Hospital, said they had admitted a 55-year-old man, residing in Hoang Mai district, Hanoi , in a coma, respiratory failure, and severe metabolic acidosis.
Test results showed that the patient's blood had a methanol concentration of up to 116.63 mg/dL. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain also showed necrosis of the nucleus pulposus and cerebral hemorrhage, typical complications of methanol poisoning.
It is worth mentioning that the patient had absolutely no history of alcoholism and was in good health. He only had the simple habit of using alcohol to rinse his mouth and treat toothache.
According to the patient’s family, about a week before being hospitalized, he had pulpitis and bought a bottle of 70-degree alcohol at a pharmacy near his house to rinse his mouth and relieve the pain. He kept the alcohol in his mouth for about an hour at a time, 3-4 times a day.
About 3 days before being admitted to the hospital, the patient began to experience unusual symptoms such as poor appetite, headache, nausea, dizziness, fatigue and blurred vision. He was admitted to the Neurology Center, Bach Mai Hospital in a state of alertness, no sensory disturbances, and stable vital signs.
The patient has just come out of a coma, but still needs respiratory support and blood filtration due to poisoning from fake alcohol containing methanol. Photo: BVCC.
However, brain MRI showed a small infarct in the left putamen, an early sign of toxin-induced central nervous system damage.
After a short time, the patient suddenly suffered respiratory failure, fell into a deep coma, had to be intubated and ventilated. Suspected of methanol poisoning, the patient was urgently transferred to the Poison Control Center for dialysis and intensive treatment.
The test results of the alcohol sample the patient used startled many doctors. Although the label said "Ethanol 70 degrees", this product did not contain ethanol at all, but 77.5% was methanol - an industrial alcohol that is not allowed to be used as a disinfectant and is toxic to the nervous system and vision.
According to Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, Director of the Poison Control Center, the inflamed tooth pulp where the mucosa is damaged is the "gateway" for methanol to penetrate the blood. During the process of holding the solution, the patient may have swallowed part of the solution without knowing it. Combined with the prolonged exposure time, the amount of methanol accumulated is enough to cause severe poisoning, directly affecting the brain and vision.
"This is not an isolated case. Over the years, the hospital has received many similar cases, from mild poisoning to blindness, brain damage or death," Dr. Nguyen emphasized.
Be alert when buying and using alcohol
In the medical field, the safe alcohols allowed for use are ethanol or isopropanol. Meanwhile, methanol is a toxic chemical, which is only used in industry, and absolutely should not be used for disinfection or on the human body.
According to Dr. Nguyen, one of the biggest risks today is the confusion in labeling. On the market, methanol is bottled and looks exactly like regular medical alcohol. Some products even clearly state "70-degree Ethanol" but in fact it is methanol.
MRI image of the patient's brain: the nuclei on both sides of the brain are necrotic and bleeding. Photo: BVCC.
The situation of fake alcohol containing methanol has lasted for many years without any sign of being completely controlled. According to Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, the problem lies in the loose management of chemicals. Methanol is imported and produced in large quantities to mix with E5 gasoline and for industrial use, but a large part has been "smuggled" into the consumer market, turning into fake alcohol, fake wine, causing unpredictable harm.
Hospitals such as Bach Mai have proactively inspected and tested all types of alcohol used internally to eliminate the risk. However, to stop this danger, we cannot rely solely on medical facilities but need the strong and coordinated participation of authorities, from licensing, post-inspection to handling violations.
"In some developed countries, such as the US, methanol is marked with a distinctive blue color for easy identification, avoiding misuse as medical alcohol or for mixing with drinks. This is a practical solution that Vietnam can completely refer to and apply," said Dr. Nguyen.
Experts recommend that people be careful when choosing to buy antiseptic alcohol:
Only buy at reputable pharmacies and keep the receipt to trace the origin when needed.
Read the label carefully: Ingredients must clearly state ethanol or isopropanol, absolutely no methanol.
The use must be clear: Used for disinfection and sterilization on the body. If it is written in general terms such as supporting disinfection or used for cleaning, you need to be highly vigilant.
Do not use alcohol to gargle, rinse your mouth or apply to damaged mucous membranes if you are unsure about the ingredients.
Source: https://baohatinh.vn/hang-loat-ca-mu-ton-thuong-nao-tu-vong-vi-con-y-te-rom-post290072.html
Comment (0)