Coma, brain damage because of listening to ‘ethnic woman’ go to the forest to dig up tree roots to soak in alcohol to cure bones and joints

May 18, 2022 15:32 GMT+7

According to information from the Poison Control Center – Bach Mai Hospital: Patient Truong Van D. (60 years old, Nghe An) has a history of drinking for many years. The patient suffered from osteoarthritis pain, according to the advice of an “ethnic woman” who went to the forest to dig up the roots of the tree (local name) to soak in alcohol to drink, about 50ml/day.

After 10 days of using the soaked alcohol product, the patient showed symptoms of dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea, high blood pressure. The patient was taken to the local hospital by his family for emergency, but his condition worsened, and his limbs twitched for about 30 minutes, so he was transferred to a higher level and continued to be transferred to the Poison Control Center. – Bach Mai Hospital.

Mr. D. still in a coma

This is not the first case of poisoning from drinking root alcohol. Currently, the Poison Control Center of Bach Mai Hospital is treating patient Le Ba T (50 years old, also in Nghe An). The patient has a history of frequent alcohol consumption, about 500ml/day.

The patient is a seafarer and 5 days from the hospital, he also drinks wine soaked in forest roots according to the advice of an “ethnic woman” to treat bone and joint diseases, about 150ml/day.

The patient’s wife said: After 3 days of drinking wine soaked in roots, the patient appeared dizzy, epigastric pain, nausea, but the patient still went to the beach. On the ship, the patient appeared to have severe abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, so he was taken to the emergency room and transferred to the Poison Control Center – Bach Mai Hospital.

TS.BS Nguyen Trung Nguyen – Director of the Poison Control Center said: Currently, the Center for Poison Control is treating two male patients aged 50 and 60 who were hospitalized on May 1 and May 6 due to the following poisoning. when drinking a wine soaked with roots dug in the forest to treat back pain, knee pain.

After taking it for 5 days, the patients all had symptoms of dizziness, nausea, ringing in the ears, shortness of breath, rapid breathing and went to the hospital in a state of severe metabolic acidosis, coma, and brain damage. Testing of alcohol samples brought in by the patient and testing of the patient’s blood found that salicylate was derived from the plant’s roots.

This is a pain reliever found in many natural plants, can be used to relieve pain, but it has certain toxicity if the control is not guaranteed in terms of dosage and administration.

“Therefore, if we drink alcoholic beverages ‘comfortably’ like this, it is very easy to be poisoned”, emphasized Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen.

Dr. Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen also said that these are two cases that are easy to detect and can be handled, but there will be many other complicated cases because in nature there are too many different compounds and substances that we cannot control. don’t know.

Salicylate poisoning can lead to severe health consequences. Patients with dizziness, nausea, ringing in the ears, convulsions, coma, low blood pressure, brain damage and kidney damage, are very likely to die.

Currently, soaking alcohol for massage and drinking at home is very popular, to ensure it is safe to use, doctors recommend that even though it is herbal, it is also a medicine because it contains many different active ingredients that we use. don’t know all.

Therefore, the amount of soaking, how to use it also requires the advice of a doctor. If we use it in a carefree and comfortable way like today, it is very easy to cause poisoning, affecting the health and lives of ourselves and our loved ones.

N. Huyen