[h=2]A man dying of alcohol poisoning was saved after doctors pumped 15 cans of beer into his stomach.[/h]The 48-year-old, Nguyen Van Nhat, passed out and was taken to a hospital in the central Vietnamese province of Quang Tri on December 25.
After running tests, doctors found that the levels of methanol—a dangerous form of alcohol—in his body was 1,119 times higher than the recommended limit.
Medics immediately administered three cans of beer (one litre) to slow down his liver’s processing of methanol.
After that, one can of beer was given to him every hour. Once 15 cans had been transfused, the man regained full consciousness.
Dr Le Van Lam, head of the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit, said a person’s stomach and intestines continue to release alcohol into the bloodstream even if they are unconscious or have stopped drinking. For a period alcohol levels, continue to rise.
He explained that alcohol comes in two variants - methanol and ethanol - adding that the human liver breaks down ethanol first as a priority.
Nguyen became unconscious when the methanol in his system oxidised to formaldehyde which in turn produced formic acid, according to reports.
To prevent oxidising formaldehyde to formic acid, giving beer to the methanol-poisoned patient gave medics enough time to perform dialysis.
Nguyen was was discharged from the hospital after 3 weeks.
Hans-Jörg Busch, an emergency physician at the University Medical Center Freiburg told Der Spiegel: “The therapy with 15 cans of beer is rather unusual, but very understandable. Perhaps the Vietnamese colleagues had no other alcohol at hand.”
Doctors save man's life by pumping five litres of beer into his stomach | Buzz.ie
After running tests, doctors found that the levels of methanol—a dangerous form of alcohol—in his body was 1,119 times higher than the recommended limit.
Medics immediately administered three cans of beer (one litre) to slow down his liver’s processing of methanol.
After that, one can of beer was given to him every hour. Once 15 cans had been transfused, the man regained full consciousness.
Dr Le Van Lam, head of the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit, said a person’s stomach and intestines continue to release alcohol into the bloodstream even if they are unconscious or have stopped drinking. For a period alcohol levels, continue to rise.
He explained that alcohol comes in two variants - methanol and ethanol - adding that the human liver breaks down ethanol first as a priority.
Nguyen became unconscious when the methanol in his system oxidised to formaldehyde which in turn produced formic acid, according to reports.
To prevent oxidising formaldehyde to formic acid, giving beer to the methanol-poisoned patient gave medics enough time to perform dialysis.
Nguyen was was discharged from the hospital after 3 weeks.
Hans-Jörg Busch, an emergency physician at the University Medical Center Freiburg told Der Spiegel: “The therapy with 15 cans of beer is rather unusual, but very understandable. Perhaps the Vietnamese colleagues had no other alcohol at hand.”
Doctors save man's life by pumping five litres of beer into his stomach | Buzz.ie
