About a month ago, the patient developed a severe cough, high fever, chest tightness and was diagnosed by a local medical facility with pneumonia monitoring, not excluding lung tumors. The family then took the patient home and bought traditional medicine online for them to take. The ingredients, origin and dosage of the medicine were not clearly identified.
After about 2 weeks of use, the patient developed jaundice, fatigue but continued to take the medicine. When consciousness disorder and deep coma occurred, the family took her to the hospital.
At the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, the patient was in very serious condition, with obvious jaundice, dilated pupils and loss of light reflexes. Tests showed severe liver dysfunction, and a CT scan of the skull recorded diffuse cerebral edema.
According to MSc. Dr. Le Son Viet, Emergency Department, Central Tropical Diseases Hospital, acute liver failure can cause blood clotting disorders, metabolic disorders, liver encephalopathy and quickly progress from lethargy to coma. When severe cerebral edema occurs, increased intracranial pressure can directly threaten life.
The patient was actively resuscitated, blood filtration and plasma exchange to support treatment. However, due to being hospitalized with severe liver failure and brain damage, the condition did not improve after 3 days of treatment. The family then asked to take the patient home for care.
Doctors warn that products called "Vietnamese medicine", "family medicine" or online preparations may contain many different ingredients. If the ingredients, content and origin cannot be determined, it will be difficult to detect the cause of liver damage and treatment.
People should not buy and use drugs or products of unknown origin for treatment. When using drugs and experiencing severe fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, yellow eyes, yellow skin, dark urine, drowsiness or changes in consciousness, it is necessary to stop suspected products and go to a medical facility for inspection and timely treatment.
