2 children have respiratory failure after mistakenly drinking oil used to light the altar lamp
During the days leading up to Tet, the Internal Medicine Intensive Care Unit of the National Children's Hospital admitted two children, D.B (18 months old in Yen Bai) and G.K (16 months old in Thai Nguyen), in a state of respiratory failure, severe lung damage, coma and impaired consciousness. The cause was that the children mistakenly drank oil for lighting the altar lamp which was stored in an unlabeled bottle and left within reach of children.
The family took the children to the nearest medical facility for first aid before transferring them to the National Children's Hospital. There, doctors administered ventilators, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and closely monitored them. After five days of treatment, the health of both children improved, but they still needed to be monitored to prevent complications.
8 children poisoned by rat poison
The Emergency and Poison Control Department of the National Children's Hospital has also received and treated 8 cases of rat poison poisoning.
2 boys (8 and 10 years old in Hoa Binh): Accidentally ate chicken eggs injected with rat poison that their family used to make traps. After a few hours, the boys felt dizzy and nauseous and were taken to the hospital. Tests revealed Bromadiolone - a substance that causes blood clotting disorders. After a week of treatment, the two boys recovered and were discharged from the hospital.
A 3-year-old girl in Ha Tinh mistakenly drank rat poison in a tube. Initially, the child only vomited a lot but remained conscious. On the third day, the child lost consciousness, had convulsions and was transferred to the National Children's Hospital. Test results showed severe nerve damage and rat poison in the blood. After more than a week of treatment, the child was stable and discharged from the hospital.
The cluster of cases in Tuyen Quang included 5 children (7-9 years old) who picked up rat poison at school and shared it among themselves. The children had symptoms of vomiting, headaches, and convulsions. After intensive treatment at the National Children's Hospital, the children's health is currently improving but still needs close monitoring.
6 year old boy dies after using grass carp bile to treat illness
Another tragic case is that of a 6-year-old boy in Son La. The child had pneumonia and was being treated at the district hospital, but his family took advice to drink grass carp bile to cure the disease. After drinking it, the child turned purple and had respiratory failure and was taken to the emergency room. Despite the doctors’ efforts to save him, he did not survive because his condition was too severe.
Doctors recommend that when children show signs of suspected poisoning, parents should immediately take their children to the nearest medical facility for examination and timely first aid to stabilize the patient and avoid possible risks to the child.
