The Department of Internal Medicine and Poison Control, Center for Intensive Care, Central Military Hospital 108 received and treated an 84-year-old female patient in critical condition after mistakenly taking rat poison belonging to the vitamin K-resistant group.
When admitted to the hospital, the patient fell into a state of blood loss shock, severe gastrointestinal bleeding and diffuse bleeding in the buttocks. Through medical history, the cause was determined to be that the old woman mistakenly took rat poison resistant to Vitamin K - a chemical that can cause serious and prolonged blood clotting disorders.
Doctors said that, unlike previous rat poisons, rat poisons of the Vitamin K-resistant group do not kill rats immediately. When it enters the body, this substance inhibits blood clotting factors, preventing blood from clotting, leading to prolonged internal bleeding and possibly causing death.
Cases of mistakenly drinking rat poison are not uncommon, especially in vulnerable groups such as the elderly and young children.
There are three main reasons why these groups are prone to danger. The first is visual confusion. Currently, many types of rat poison are produced in the form of pink, blue pills or fragrant grains, making users easily confuse them with candy or tonics.
Second is memory decline in the elderly. The elderly may forget the location where rat traps were placed or confuse daily medication with rat poison.
In addition, the body's endurance in the elderly and young children is often worse. A small amount of chemicals may not cause serious complications in healthy people but can easily cause the elderly to fall into serious blood clotting disorders and prolonged blood loss.
The dangerous point of vitamin K-resistant rat poison is that symptoms usually do not appear immediately, but may appear after 1–3 days. At that time, patients may experience signs such as subcutaneous bleeding with bruises even without impact; Bleeding gums, difficult-to-control nosebleeds; Digestive bleeding such as black stools, vomiting blood; Muscle pain, abdominal pain due to silent blood flowing in muscles or internal organs...
Doctors recommend that when suspected of mistakenly taking rat poison, do not arbitrarily cause vomiting because it can cause choking into the lungs. Patients need to be taken to a medical facility immediately, and bring packaging or samples of medicine for doctors to determine the type of chemical.
During treatment, the doctor will use Vitamin K - a specific antidote. Depending on the degree of blood loss, the patient may need blood transfusions or plasma. Vitamin K treatment can last for many months, so patients need to adhere to medication and re-examine according to the doctor's instructions, and not stop taking medication on their own.
