Çukurova University (CU) Faculty of Medicine Balcalı Hospital, Head of Emergency Medicine Department, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Sebe stated that even the consumption of 3-4 spoons of methyl alcohol leads to death. “They should definitely tell the doctor that they are drinking alcohol in order not to be late in the treatment. Some patients are hesitant to say this,” he said.
Emphasizing that methyl alcohol, which is used instead of ethyl, is periodically put on the market or mixed with ethyl alcohol, Sebe said, “In our data last year, around 25 patients came. 7-8 people died. In the last period, 5 patients came. “Three of them have died. Currently, one of our patients is in intensive care. The other one has been discharged. We see these patients in various other hospitals in Adana and in hospitals in the surrounding provinces and districts. There is a general increase,” he said.
“THEY CONTINUE THEIR LIVES BLIND”
Noting that methyl alcohol is obtained from wood, but it is a deadly poison, Prof. Dr. Sebe said, “Ethyl alcohol is metabolized and cleaned in the liver, but there is no such chance with methyl alcohol. Symptoms such as loss of vision, nausea, vomiting, inability to urinate, and shortness of breath occur in 10-12 hours. It causes kidney failure, pulmonary edema, heart attacks. At the same time, it can cause permanent damage, putting people in a coma and leading to death. Especially visual impairment is very difficult to recover If the hospital is reached in the early period in the form of blurred vision or a decrease in light reflex, we may have a chance to correct it with certain treatments, but after the vision loss has completely occurred, it is very difficult for the patient to return and they continue their lives completely blind, “he said.
‘THEY ARE HEALED TO SAY THEY DID ALCOHOL’
Emphasizing that those who show symptoms such as vision loss, nausea, vomiting, inability to urinate, and shortness of breath should definitely tell the relevant doctor that they are consuming alcohol when they apply to the hospital. Dr. Sebe also talked about treatment methods. Sebe said, “Our patients are usually hesitant to say that they drink alcohol or they cannot make a connection. They must tell the doctor they see that they have been drinking alcohol the day before or a few hours before so that there is no delay in diagnosis and treatment. The treatments used can only be done under hospital conditions. There are drugs, there is hemodialysis, “There is ethyl alcohol itself, which we use in the treatment from time to time, there are supportive treatments. We provide treatments such as respiratory and circulatory supports. Unfortunately, they do not have a chance for a cure before they reach the hospital,” he said.
”THEY ARE SELLING UZO IN PET BOTTLES”
Mentioning that there are important points that those who consume alcohol should pay attention to, Prof. Dr. Sebe said, “Especially as pirates, under the stairs or illegally, they sell alcohol for 40-50 liras as ‘choking raki’ or ‘ouzo’ in plastic bottles. Most of them are methyl alcohol. It can also be mixed with water. Neither its smell nor color can be understood. Of course, we recommend that people not consume alcohol while consuming alcohol, but we definitely do not recommend that it be made at home or bought from the underground market. When they drink alcohol in a restaurant or place, they should definitely have it opened in front of their eyes. They should not buy alcohol whose packaging is torn and its barcode has been removed. needed,” he said.
(DHA)