Drinking alcohol with water, two patients go blind, at risk of vegetative state

On August 16, information from Phu Tho General Hospital said that doctors there are providing emergency care to two patients with methanol poisoning.

The first patient was a male who drank 100ml of 90-degree alcohol mixed with 500ml of filtered water. After 1 day, the patient experienced abdominal pain, vomited brown fluid, and gradually lost vision.

The patient was then transferred to Phu Tho General Hospital in a state of vision loss. Blood gas test results showed acidosis, methanol poisoning was diagnosed and emergency dialysis was required. Although he was later transferred to the Poison Control Department, Bach Mai Hospital for treatment, the patient still lost his vision.

Drinking water with two blind patients is at risk of vegetative state 1 — Image of brain damage caused by the effects of methanol. (Photo courtesy of BVCC).

In the second case, a 66-year-old male patient developed headaches, blurred vision, and agitation one day after drinking alcohol mixed with water. The patient was hospitalized in a deep coma and severe metabolic acidosis due to methanol poisoning.

The results of the brain MRI showed bilateral infarction, necrosis, and hemorrhage of the globus pallidus - this is a typical form of brain damage caused by methanol poisoning. Although the patient received intensive resuscitation, blood filtration, and mechanical ventilation, his condition was very serious, with a high risk of facing a vegetative state.

According to Master, Doctor Bui Tat Luat - Emergency Department, Phu Tho General Hospital, recently, methanol poisoning has been on the rise.

Methanol is commonly known as industrial alcohol, sold at a very cheap price so it is easily used by bad guys to make fake alcohol, fake alcohol mixed with water (instead of ethanol). This is the reason why many people buy medical alcohol or products labeled ethanol but the ingredients contain methanol, even very high concentrations of methanol. Methanol is easily absorbed and causes poisoning through the digestive tract, skin or respiratory tract.

Because methanol is metabolized and eliminated slowly by the body, causing poisoning is also slow, so when exposed to small levels for a long time or repeated many times, it will accumulate in the body and cause poisoning many days later.

Le Trang

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