An alcohol poisoning patient is treated at Bạch Mai Hospital in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Doctors have warned about the danger of alcohol poisoning as the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday season approaches.

The Poisoning Control Centre of Hà Nội’s Bạch Mai Hospital reported a 29-year-old young man recently died from alcohol poisoning.

The patient was transferred from Hưng Yên Province's General Hospital to the centre, in critical condition in a deep coma and with kidney failure.

The patient's family members said the man drank a lot of alcohol with his friends on January 2. After that, he returned home and went to bed. The next morning, when family members couldn't wake him up. Immediately, the patient was taken to the provincial hospital and later transferred to the Bạch Mai Hospital.

After receiving the patient, doctors performed resuscitation and dialysis, but the patient showed no signs of recovery.

Previously, another three patients from the northern province of Bắc Ninh were treated at the centre for alcohol poisoning, after they drank a mixture of methanol and alcohol.

The alcohol samples were tested and found to contain levels of methanol in excess of permissible levels. 

Nguyễn Trung Nguyên, director of the centre, said that despite warnings from doctors, the number of patients hospitalised for alcohol poisoning around Tết greatly increased.

“In many cases, drinking too much alcohol causes nerve depression, falling into a deep coma, stop breathing, lack of oxygen, brain damage and cardiac arrest,” he said.

According to the doctor when a person has signs of alcohol poisoning, about 12-24 hours after drinking, the patient often feels dizziness, confusion, muscle weakness, headache, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

Ethanol in alcohol will cause hypoglycemia, especially when people do not eat before drinking, causing their blood sugar to be depleted.

“The death rate from methanol poisoning is quite high, mostly due to late hospitalisation,” he said.

“The best way to avoid alcohol poisoning is to not drink alcohol, especially unknown-origin wine.

“However, if necessary, family members need to remind alcohol drinkers to eat starch, juice, milk, broth, or diluted porridge to replenish energy for the body.”

The Food Safety Department, Ministry of Health, recommends that people do not drink alcohol-soaked with leaves, roots or animal viscera of unknown toxicity and origin.

People who are hungry, tired or taking medication should not drink alcohol, either. VNS