Bach Mai Hospital doctor saves an unprecedented poisoning case in world medical literature - Lang Son Newspaper and Radio and Television

Seeing many people sharing about the heat-clearing and detoxifying effects of the tamarind tree, a 68-year-old woman living in Hanoi went to her backyard to pull out a full basket of the tree, including roots and tubers, and boiled it with 1.5 liters of water until 600ml remained.

She drank two cups and gave the rest to her 85-year-old mother. The water tasted bitter, sour and salty even though nothing was added. After drinking it, she felt uncomfortable, nauseous and vomited fluid. The next morning she continued to feel tired, had a headache, felt dizzy and lost her appetite so she went to Bach Mai Hospital for a check-up.

At the Poison Control Center, the patient was conscious, had no fever, no abdominal pain or nausea, but had a dull headache. Test results showed that the creatinine index was many times higher than normal, a clear sign of kidney damage, a diagnosis of acute kidney failure.

Poison Control Center doctor examines patient.

The plant sample the patient brought in was identified as Oxalis corymbosa DC., containing oxalic acid - the substance believed to be the cause of the poisoning. Test results at the National Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene showed that the oxalic acid content in the plant sample was very high.

According to Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, Director of the Poison Control Center, oxalic acid is a strong organic acid. If used in high doses, it can cause irritation of the intestinal mucosa, acute poisoning and death. This substance combines with calcium in the body to form calcium oxalate - the cause of urinary stones, damage to the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and even deposits in the joints.

"This is the first case we have recorded of a patient suffering from kidney failure after taking tamarind. There have been no similar reports in world medical literature," said Dr. Nguyen.

The patient picked tamarind tree and boiled it in water to drink, leading to kidney failure (sample provided by the patient).

Oxalic acid is found in many foods such as star fruit, lemon, grapes, spinach, celery, tea leaves... but in very small amounts, it does not affect health if used at normal levels. In particular, with tamarind, a plant with a characteristic sour taste, the oxalic acid content can be higher and can easily cause poisoning if used in excess.

Doctors warn people not to arbitrarily use herbs as medicine according to instructions on the internet or word of mouth. Even though they are herbs, their use must be controlled like medicine, with clear instructions on dosage and time, suitable for each person's health condition. When there are unusual signs, people need to go to a medical facility for examination and treatment according to professional instructions, to avoid unfortunate consequences like the above.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/bac-si-benh-vien-bach-mai-cuu-ca-ngo-doc-chua-tung-co-trong-y-van-the-gioi-5044801.html