Blood filtration for more than 6 hours to save a patient poisoned by eating puffer fish

After eating puffer fish, a 51-year-old woman in Quang Ngai had to be hospitalized in critical condition due to poisoning.

On the morning of March 11, Quang Nam Central General Hospital (located in Nui Thanh District, Quang Nam) announced that the unit had just saved the life of a female patient from Quang Ngai Province who was poisoned by eating puffer fish.

After a period of monitoring and treatment at the hospital, the patient's health has recovered and is expected to be discharged today, March 11.

After a long period of monitoring and treatment, the health of the PTM patient has stabilized again.

Previously, at around 5:00 p.m. on March 3, the Emergency Department of Quang Nam Central General Hospital admitted patient PTM (51 years old, in Binh Son District, Quang Ngai Province) to the emergency room in a state of fatigue, drowsiness, and frequent vomiting.

After examination, doctors determined that Mrs. M. was severely poisoned, at risk of acute respiratory failure, so they performed gastric lavage, used activated charcoal, and transferred her to the Intensive Care - Anti-Poison Department for monitoring.

After about 5 hours, the patient's condition worsened with symptoms such as respiratory muscle weakness, deep coma, urinary disorder and signs of respiratory acidosis.

Doctors intubated, provided ventilator support and performed blood filtration to remove toxins. After more than 6 hours of blood filtration, the patient began to regain consciousness and his consciousness improved significantly.

By March 4, Mrs. M's health had gradually stabilized, her strength had fully recovered, and the breathing tube had been removed. However, due to signs of fever and the risk of pneumonia from inhaling toxic substances during vomiting, the doctors requested that she stay in the hospital for further monitoring.

The patient’s family said that on the afternoon of March 3, Ms. PTM prepared and ate puffer fish at home. Not long after, she showed signs of fatigue, drowsiness, and vomiting, so she was taken to Quang Nam Central General Hospital for emergency treatment.

A leader of Quang Nam Central General Hospital said that puffer fish contains the toxin tetrodotoxin, which is concentrated in the skin, liver, intestines; especially the testicles and ovaries. If not prepared properly, people who eat it are at high risk of poisoning. In the past, the hospital has received many similar cases of puffer fish poisoning.

Doctors also recommend that if there are signs of suspected puffer fish poisoning such as vomiting, numbness of lips, numbness of limbs, drowsiness, loss of consciousness... you should quickly go to the nearest medical facility for timely emergency treatment to avoid danger to life.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/loc-mau-hon-6-gio-dong-ho-de-cuu-benh-nhan-ngo-doc-do-an-ca-noc-185250311105513367.htm