Doctors have seen quite a lot of interesting as well as challenging cases over the years. This time too they came across something strange as they never even dreamt of pumping litres of beer in a bid to cure a patient’s life. Yes, it’s true to the fact that doctors got involved in one of the craziest of operations where they pumped five litres of beer, which is equal to 15 beer cans- into a patient’s stomach to save his life.
This incident took place in Vietnam and the patient identified as Nguyen Van Nhat was suffering from alcohol poisoning. Doctors thought about taking the next step in a bid to cure a patient’s life and to everyone’s surprise, they decided to pump beer into his stomach. As reported by Daily Mail, the 48-year-old Nhat’s methanol level was learnt to be 1,119 times higher than normal condition.
In order to gradually slow down the liver’s processing of methanol, a team of doctors first transfused one litre of beer into his belly. After that, one can of beer was pumped every hour. Finally, after 15 cans of beer were transfused in Nhat’s stomach, he regained consciousness.
The doctors later clearly clarified that alcohol comes in 2 variants- one is methanol, the other is ethanol. It should be noted that the stomach continues to let out alcohol into the bloodstream even after a person has stopped drinking. This effect results in an increase in alcohol levels.
It has been learnt that Nhat became unconscious when the methanol in his body system oxidized to formaldehyde which in succession produced acid, according to the reports. “The therapy with 15 cans of beer is rather unusual, but well understood.
Maybe the Vietnamese colleagues had no other alcohol on hand. Much more important (than the kind of alcohol used) is that the therapy is immediately initiated.” emergency physician, Hans-Jörg Busch, from the University Hospital of Freiburg, told a DPA. In good news, Nhat was discharged from the hospital after 3 weeks and is now recovering at his home.
