On March 24, MSc. Dr. Hoang Tien Trong Nghia - Head of the Neurology Department of Military Hospital 175 said that the unit receiving the patient was a male (25 years old) admitted to the hospital in a very serious condition, with psoas collapse, eyes unable to move, extended anctor, complete quadriplegia and having to use a ventilator.
A day before the outbreak, the patient ate canned pate. After opening the lid, the patient kept it at room temperature and continued using it the next day. This is a favorable condition for the bacteria that cause poisoning to grow and produce toxins.
After performing the necessary tests, the doctor diagnosed the patient with botulinum poisoning - a poison that seriously affects the nervous system, which can cause death if not detected and treated promptly.
After more than 2 months of treatment, the patient gradually recovered. Patients can open their eyes, have movement again, and have stronger limbs. However, the patient still needs ventilator support.
According to Dr. Nghia, botulinum is an extremely powerful neurotoxin produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria in an air-ted environment, meaning a closed environment, lacking oxygen such as in canned foods, pickled, fermented... if not processed and stored properly.
Symptoms of botulinum poisoning should be recognized early such as pimples, blurred vision, dry mouth, difficulty speaking, difficulty swallowing, acute muscle weakness ranging from the head to the limbs; shortness of breath due to respiratory paralysis; may feel nauseous, abdominal pain after consuming food. Symptoms often appear within a few hours to a few days of eating contaminated food.
If detected early, the patient can be injected with botulinum toxin serum to prevent the toxin from spreading. However, in many cases of late or late diagnosis, treatment is mainly supportive care such as mechanical ventilation, feeding via stomach sonde, supporting the overall condition...
Proper food preservation
To prevent botulinum poisoning, Dr. Nghia recommends that people pay attention to:
- Only use canned foods of clear origin, expired, packaging that is not inflated, mold or rusty.
- After opening the lid, if not used up, you need to store the food in the refrigerator and use it soon.
- Cook thoroughly before eating, especially canned meat and pate.
- Do not leave food outside at room temperature for too long, especially in hot and humid weather conditions.
- Keep hygienic during the processing, storage, and use of food.
