Old woman hospitalized in critical condition after drinking bottle of 'soft drink' due to methadone poisoning

After drinking a bottle of 'soft drink' left at home by her grandson, an old woman in Hanoi was hospitalized in a deep coma and severe respiratory failure due to methadone poisoning.

The emergency team quickly placed an endotracheal tube, connected the patient to a ventilator, and actively resuscitated the patient - Photo: BVCC

On September 16, Thanh Nhan Hospital ( Hanoi ) announced that it had just admitted an 80-year-old woman (Hanoi) in a deep coma and severe respiratory failure. The cause was determined to be methadone poisoning.

Immediately after receiving the patient, doctors performed emergency care, intubated the patient, connected the patient to a ventilator, and actively resuscitated the patient to regain each breath.

After urgent intervention, the patient gradually regained consciousness, but then the old lady continued to get worse, the patient's respiratory muscles were completely paralyzed, making the patient completely dependent on a ventilator.

According to doctors, this is an extremely serious situation. To save the patient's life, it is necessary to find the cause of respiratory paralysis.

However, after performing the tests, the results showed negative for heroin, morphine, benzodiazepine; MRI images of the brain, neck, and chest did not detect any lesions, excluding the cause of nerve and spinal cord compression; the possibility of rare neuromuscular diseases was also ruled out.

Despite reviewing all possibilities, the team has yet to find the cause.

At this time, the family shared that before fainting, the old lady drank a bottle of soft drink that was left in the house. A sample of the remaining water was immediately sent to the National Institute of Forensic Medicine.

Tests showed that the bottle contained methadone, a medication used to treat drug addiction. The family confirmed that this was the drug the woman’s grandchild was using.

Doctors say methadone is a commonly used drug in drug addiction treatment, with safe doses when used as prescribed for young, healthy people.

However, in a weakened body, especially the elderly, even a small amount of methadone can become a toxic dose, causing severe respiratory failure and complete paralysis of the respiratory muscles.

It is worth mentioning that methadone is not included in the list of routine toxicology screening tests, so it could not be detected in the initial tests, making the diagnosis process difficult.

Determining the exact cause of the poisoning became a crucial turning point, helping doctors quickly adjust the treatment regimen. After many days of close monitoring, intensive care and respiratory support, the old woman finally overcame the critical condition.

Dr. Pham Thi Tra Giang, Thanh Nhan Hospital, said that just a moment of carelessness can lead to serious consequences, even costing lives. Therefore, absolutely do not use soft drink bottles, mineral water bottles or any other food containers to store drugs or toxic chemicals.

"Special medications, especially highly addictive drugs like methadone, need to be stored carefully, in locked cabinets and out of reach of children and the elderly.

At the same time, family members need to raise awareness about the risk of poisoning, especially in families with people undergoing medical treatment or participating in drug rehabilitation programs," Dr. Giang recommended.

WILLOW

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/uong-chai-nuoc-ngot-cu-ba-nhap-vien-nguy-kich-vi-ngo-doc-methadone-20250916112332108.htm