Karadeniz Technical University (KTU) Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology Head Prof. Dr. Ahmet Ayar, who was hospitalized after being poisoned by a mushroom he ate, said, “I was exposed to an accident that would cost me my life at a point in the plateau where I thought I knew, trusted, and had high self-confidence.”
Ayar, who is receiving treatment at the Karadeniz Technical University (KTÜ) Farabi Hospital intensive care unit due to the mushroom he ate, noted that he was victimized by being exposed to such an event despite his academic side of the profession, and said, “I have an academic side of the profession, but as a person and child of this region, I love the mountains and plateaus very much. I love the mountains very much, but unfortunately, recently on the plateau, at a point where I thought I knew, trusted, and had high self-confidence, I was subjected to an accident that would cost me my life.
Unfortunately, we have been facing very serious life-threatening situations in our region recently. I recently cooked and ate one of the mushrooms that I trusted in the highland, which did not look abnormal at all, and I survived thanks to the very strong emergency and intensive care support that my house is 150 meters from the emergency room.”
“BE AFRAID OF MUSHROOMS, NOT INSECTS”
Ayar, who stated that he realized that he had survived a major accident, said, “After my illness passed, I realized how big an accident I had survived. As a science reader and writer, when I read data from reliable sources, quality journals, and centers around the world, I want to give a message to the society that mushroom poisoning is a very big risk, and even when walking in nature, people are afraid of snakes and insects, but they should be afraid of mushrooms. Here, reliable sources say that poisonous and non-poisonous can be very similar, and that trusting your friend on this issue or making a decision based on photos from programs on phones is very risky.”
HE STAYED IN INTENSIVE CARE
Ayar, who stated that he was treated in intensive care and experienced anxiety and fear, said, “I stayed in intensive care for about a day. Then I stayed in the ward for about a day and after recovery I was monitored for 10 days. Because first the rapidly developing harmful effects on the liver and kidneys as well as the effects that can spread for up to 10 days can be seen. During this period, I both suffered and experienced anxiety and fear.
“I think that our citizens should be very sensitive in this context, and if they are not very expert, the smartest way would be to stay away from mushrooms that they will collect from nature. From now on, it is not possible for you to eat mushrooms collected from nature. Of course, we respect the trade in cultivated mushrooms, but I do not think of consuming such a risky food when there are many foods that can be consumed,” he said. (İHA)