First aid for alcohol poisoning.

Nguyen Van T, from Tan Tien, Hai Hung, went to work as usual after drinking alcohol at an engagement party. The next morning at 9 am, he got up and couldn't see anything...

Patients who suffer from alcohol poisoning due to consuming homemade, mixed, or fermented alcoholic beverages containing dangerously high levels of toxins may die if not given timely emergency treatment.

The patient suffered from alcohol poisoning.

The dangers of alcohol poisoning.

At the Poison Control Center of Bach Mai Hospital, patients are admitted daily due to alcohol poisoning from ethanol and methanol (industrial alcohol). For example, Mr. Nguyen Van T, from Tan Tien, Hai Hung, went to work as usual after drinking alcohol at an engagement party. The next morning at 9 am, he stood up and couldn't see anything. His family took him to Hung Yen Hospital for examination, where he was diagnosed with industrial alcohol poisoning and immediately transferred to the Poison Control Center at Bach Mai Hospital.

Ms. Nguyen Thi H., Mr. T's daughter, said: "My father's case is very serious because the methanol concentration in his blood is very high, requiring long-term treatment, but his eyesight is already damaged. Insurance doesn't cover alcohol poisoning cases because it's self-inflicted. When we went to the hospital, my family borrowed over 20 million dong, but after just one day of treatment, that money was almost gone."

In another case, Mr. Luu Van N, 71 years old, from Phuc Dong, Long Bien, Hanoi, bought alcohol at the beginning of the village and drank it. Seeing him collapse while still holding the bottle, his family immediately took him to the hospital. Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, who directly treated Mr. Luu Van N, said that Mr. N was admitted in a coma, experiencing difficulty breathing, respiratory failure, and severe methanol poisoning. After 6 days of dialysis, Mr. Luu is out of critical condition. However, his eyesight will be permanently affected, and treatment will be very expensive, costing hundreds of millions of dong.

According to Dr. Nguyen Kim Son, Director of the Poison Control Center at Bach Mai Hospital, patients are usually diagnosed with blurred vision 1-2 days after drinking alcohol.

Patients with mild methanol poisoning experience impaired vision, while severe cases can affect the nervous system, brain, blood, cardiovascular system, blood pressure, kidneys, etc., and can easily lead to death. Even if patients survive the critical period, they are often left with severe long-term consequences.

In patients with ethanol poisoning, mild symptoms include central nervous system depression causing agitation, euphoria, excessive talking, and loss of self-control while driving; severe symptoms include hypotension, cardiac arrhythmias, weak breathing, possible respiratory arrest, hypoglycemia, gastritis, and gastric bleeding.

For individuals with cirrhosis, cardiovascular disease, or hypertension, even a small amount of ethanol (30-100ml) can lead to acute, life-threatening poisoning. In cases of chronic alcohol poisoning, drinkers may experience mental distress, personality changes, and even paranoia and hallucinations, leading to dangerous behavior that threatens themselves, their families, and society.

How to recognize and provide first aid

According to hospital statistics, the number of patients hospitalized due to alcohol poisoning increases before and after the Lunar New Year. Many patients are admitted in a deep coma, with complications such as difficulty breathing, respiratory failure, hypoglycemia, rhabdomyolysis, and kidney failure.

According to Dr. Nguyen Kim Son, intoxicated individuals should not be allowed to sleep for too long; if they do not regain consciousness, they should be taken to the hospital immediately. To avoid poisoning, it is best not to drink excessive amounts of alcohol. Avoid drinking many different types of alcohol at once. Alcohol should be an appetizer, consumed in moderation to stimulate appetite, not to the point of feeling full.

According to Dr. Son, ethanol is an inhibitor that weakens the central nervous system, reducing the activity of nerve cells. More dangerous, and often fatal, is drinking alcohol containing methanol. Severe methanol poisoning causes digestive disorders, vomiting blood, coma, seizures, generalized muscle spasms, hypotension, respiratory disorders, acute pulmonary edema, and rapid death. When poisoned by ethanol or methanol, victims experience dizziness, confusion, muscle weakness, headache, nausea, and abdominal pain 30 minutes to several hours after ingestion. However, while ethanol causes mild intoxication followed by recovery, methanol poisoning can easily lead to death.

Dr. Nguyen Kim Son advises: To prevent alcohol poisoning, when drinking, choose branded alcohol with a clear origin, ensuring food safety, and only drink in moderation: no more than 3 units of alcohol per day for men and no more than 2 units of alcohol per day for women (1 unit of alcohol is equivalent to 10g of alcohol = 1 can of beer (330ml) = 100ml of wine = 30ml of Vodka). While drinking alcohol, still eat rice and other food to avoid catching a cold due to hunger or cold.

According to VOV.VN