While inspections and measures against counterfeit alcohol continue throughout Türkiye, it has been learned that applications to hospitals continue these days. While the Istanbul Governorship took a series of precautions against counterfeit alcohol, which caused loss of life, experts also warned. Assoc. Prof. from Taksim Training and Research Hospital Emergency Medicine Clinic. Dr. Abuzer Özkan also gave information about the harms of alcohol and what to do in case of fake alcohol poisoning.
“THERE WERE PATIENTS WE HAD TO INTUBATE EVEN THOUGH THEY CAME UP ON THEIR OWN FOOT”
Speaking about recent applications, Emergency Medicine Specialist Assoc. Dr. Abuzer Özkan said, “We had 7 serious cases in about 6 days, starting from the 10th of the month. We admitted almost all of them to intensive care, 2 of them resulted in death. All 5 of them are still intubated, and one of them is in a very serious condition. It could have ended badly because we had to do CPR several times. They came with serious deterioration in their blood parameters, and even though we followed them intensively, we could not recover them.
“A PARTIAL POISON”
They probably may have used a high percentage of methyl alcohol because 15-20 cc has a toxic effect, while 100-150 cc results in death. In general, we learned that a few of our patients received it in the Fatih region through the story we received from their families. He brought one of them with a 112 service, 2 of them came with his own feet, but they deteriorate very quickly. There were patients who lost consciousness very quickly and had to be intubated, even though they came on their own. “It’s like a partial poison, methyl alcohol, which we call fake alcohol, is something used in the industrial field,” he said.
“THE COMPLAINTS ARE USUALLY SEEN IN OTHER DISEASES”
Assoc. Prof. gave information about the problems that may occur in people after consuming fake alcohol and warned citizens. Dr. Özkan continued his words as follows:
“It manifests itself with intestinal and stomach complaints, nausea, vomiting, sometimes weakness, change of consciousness, headache. It would be beneficial for patients who have such complaints after consumption to consult a hospital, especially during these periods. They may feel good, but it may result in undesirable results in a very short time.
This is one of the reasons why deaths from fake alcohol poisoning are high; The complaints are generally common in other diseases. If we can get a history of suspected alcohol consumption, we can speed up, otherwise it may take a little longer because we have to wait for laboratory parameters. We definitely do not want to consume either original or counterfeit alcohol. “It damages the vessels and can cause brain hemorrhage. There was an increase in applications during the New Year period, that is, before and slightly after.”
(UAV)