According to Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, Director of the Poison Control Center at Bach Mai Hospital, the center has recently admitted two cases of alcohol poisoning over the past two days. Notably, both patients are very young.
One case involves a 19-year-old female patient from Hanoi. The night before her hospitalization, she had been out drinking cocktails with friends. Having consumed a lot of alcohol without eating, she felt fatigued and developed a headache, going straight to bed upon returning home. During the night, she experienced severe fatigue and vomiting, prompting her family to rush her to the emergency room.
Another case involved a 25-year-old male who drank alcohol with friends the previous night without having any food. After drinking, he went to sleep and was unable to wake up the next morning, feeling extremely fatigued. His family took him to the hospital, suspecting alcohol poisoning.
Both patients were in a state of metabolic acidosis and hypoglycemia. They are now conscious but still very fatigued, and doctors are conducting tests to determine if there is methanol in the alcohol consumed. However, it is important to note that not only can methanol-containing alcohol lead to poisoning, but even alcohol from known sources also poses a significant risk of intoxication.
Excessive alcohol consumption can overwhelm the body, leading to severe vomiting.
Dr. Nguyen warns that there are many cases, especially among young people, who drink heavily without eating, which can lead to a state of “false fullness.” This means the stomach feels full but lacks energy. In fact, there have been numerous cases where blood sugar levels dropped to zero when patients were brought to the emergency room.
After drinking, most people tend to skip meals and go straight to bed. Family members often ignore the situation when they see their loved ones drunk and asleep, resulting in dangerously low blood sugar levels by morning, which can lead to unconsciousness and necessitate emergency medical attention. Some cases have even resulted in brain damage.
Additionally, many cases involve excessive alcohol consumption that the body cannot tolerate, leading to severe vomiting, which can cause hypotension, kidney failure, dehydration, and even damage to the stomach and esophagus…
“Those who rarely drink alcohol but consume a large amount at once are more susceptible to acute poisoning. Conversely, those who drink heavily over extended periods can adversely affect organs such as the liver, kidneys, and nervous system… Therefore, the best approach is to abstain from alcohol or limit intake significantly for both men and women,” Dr. Nguyen cautions.
Furthermore, the doctor advises against driving after consuming alcohol.
According to Dr. Nguyen, certain groups of people should especially avoid alcohol:
- Individuals who cannot control their behavior;
- Children and adolescents;
- People with medical conditions;
- Individuals with a frail constitution.
To mitigate the harmful effects of alcohol, the most important advice is to consume rice, noodles, vermicelli, or pho… (starchy foods) to prevent hypoglycemia. It is crucial to stop drinking immediately when losing control or balance.
“Often, after drinking, very few people acknowledge that they are drunk. Therefore, those around them need to recognize the signs and intervene,” Dr. Nguyen shared.
In cases of intoxication, to prevent poisoning and life-threatening situations, family members should place a low pillow under the patient’s head to help induce vomiting. If the person is asleep, they should be awakened and given diluted porridge to avoid hypoglycemia. If the patient remains unresponsive for a long time or cannot eat without vomiting, they should be taken to a medical facility immediately for timely treatment.
Things to avoid when drinking alcohol:
- Do not give the victim liver supplements to detoxify after drinking.
- Do not consume additional vitamin B1, B6, folic acid… when intoxicated.
- Do not take paracetamol, aspirin, or other pain relievers and fever reducers while drunk. The reason is that taking these medications with alcohol can irritate the stomach lining and cause gastrointestinal bleeding.
- Do not take anti-nausea medications as they may retain toxins in the body, preventing the liver from filtering them out, leading to severe damage, and possibly cirrhosis or liver cancer over time.
- Do not take a bath immediately as it can lead to hypoglycemia, lower body temperature, and potentially result in stroke or cardiovascular collapse…
People should drink plenty of warm water to avoid dehydration from continuous vomiting. In particular, strong green tea can help detoxify acute alcohol poisoning, or hot milk and fresh ginger water (sliced and boiled thoroughly) can aid circulation and quickly neutralize alcohol.
