The 11-year-old girl is being treated at the National Children’s Hospital after accidentally drinking sulfuric acid. — Photo courtesy of the hospital.

HÀ NỘI — An 11-year-old girl from the northern province of Quảng Ninh is in a critical condition after accidentally drinking sulfuric acid, according to the National Children’s Hospital (NCH).

Her condition hasn’t improved after nearly a month of treatment.

The girl was reported to have bought a bottle of mineral water at a shop near her school on June 26. The shopkeeper gave her a bottle containing sulfuric acid which looked similar to the mineral water bottle by mistake.

The shopkeeper said her son worked as a mechanic and usually uses empty bottles to contain sulfuric acid.

The girl was rushed to local hospital for first aid and then transferred to NCH for further treatment the next day.

Doctors at Poison Control Department conducted endoscopic ENT (ear, nose and throat) for her. The result showed that she had serious stomach and peptic ulcers. She was transferred to the gastroenterology department for treatment.

Đặng Thúy Hà, deputy head of the department, said the girl’s mouth was badly damaged and she was unable to eat. She had to be fed by tube and injected with antibiotics.

During the first 10 days of admission, the girl continued to have abdominal pain and vomiting. Her health condition seemed temporarily stable over the next four days. But five days later, she had fever of 39-40 degrees Celsius.

It is predicted she might not eat normally for the rest of her life.

“Accidentally consuming acid leaves serious consequences. The acid could destroy tissue structures such as skin and muscles, causing necrosis,” Hà said.

In the above-mentioned case, it burned the girl's mouth, esophagus and stomach.

Doctors advised that when accidentally consuming acid-like substances, the victim must drink water immediately to dilute stomach acid, reducing the damage to this organ.

To avoid the harmful effects of chemicals, especially acid, on children, adults should store acid carefully. They should not keep chemicals, acid or kerosene in bottles used to contain food or drink to prevent the risk of misuse. — VNS