80-year-old woman in deep coma, critical after mistakenly drinking Methadone in a soft drink bottle

On September 16, Thanh Nhan Hospital, Hanoi, announced that hospital doctors had just performed an emergency surgery on a female patient (80 years old, in Hanoi) in critical condition, in a deep coma, with severe respiratory failure due to mistakenly taking Methadone addiction treatment medication in a soft drink bottle.

Immediately after receiving this elderly female patient in critical condition, Thanh Nhan Hospital activated the hospital-wide red alert. The emergency team immediately placed an endotracheal tube, connected her to a ventilator, and performed intensive resuscitation to regain each breath for the patient. After urgent interventions, the patient gradually regained consciousness, but an unpredictable complication occurred: respiratory muscle paralysis, making the patient completely dependent on a ventilator.

Thanh Nhan Hospital doctor examines elderly female patient with Methodone poisoning

Next, the doctors conducted toxicology tests, brain MRI scans, and evaluations for respiratory myasthenia and rare neuromuscular diseases to determine the cause of the disease. Continuing to take the patient's medical history, the doctors discovered that the old woman had previously drunk a bottle of soft drink at home. Immediately, a sample of the soft drink was sent for testing. The results from the National Institute of Forensic Medicine confirmed that the soft drink contained Methadone - a drug used to treat drug addiction by a family member's nephew.

According to Dr. Pham Thi Tra Giang, Head of the Emergency Department, Thanh Nhan Hospital, Methadone is not on the list of routine toxicology screenings, so it was not detected in the initial tests. A safe maintenance dose for young people became a very dangerous toxic dose for the weakened body of an elderly woman, causing respiratory failure and severe respiratory muscle paralysis. After a period of intensive treatment, this elderly patient escaped the clutches of death.

Doctors recommend that people absolutely do not use soft drink bottles, mineral water bottles or food containers to store toxic substances, whether they are drugs, cleaning chemicals or anything else. Medicines, especially prescription drugs or highly addictive drugs, should be stored carefully in locked cabinets, out of reach of children and the elderly.

MINH KHANG

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/cu-ba-80-tuoi-hon-me-sau-nguy-kich-vi-uong-nham-methadone-de-trong-chai-nuoc-ngot-post813273.html