Terrible words: There have been patients who came on their own and we had to intubate them.

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In the last 3 days, 30 people have died in Istanbul due to counterfeit alcohol. Many others are also under treatment. While the Istanbul Governorship has taken a series of measures regarding the counterfeit alcohol that has caused these fatalities, experts have also issued warnings. Associate Professor Dr. Abuzer Özkan from the Emergency Medicine Clinic of Taksim Training and Research Hospital provided information on the harms of alcohol and what to do in cases of counterfeit alcohol poisoning.

THEY CAME ON THEIR OWN FEET AND WERE INTUBATED

Speaking about the recent applications, Emergency Medicine Specialist Associate Professor Dr. Abuzer Özkan stated, "Since the 10th of the month, we have had 7 serious cases within approximately 6 days. Almost all of them were admitted to intensive care, 2 resulted in death. 5 are still intubated, and one of them is in very serious condition. It could end badly because we had to perform CPR several times. They came with very serious disturbances in blood parameters, and despite our close monitoring, we couldn't stabilize them. They may have used a high amount of methanol because while 15-20 cc causes toxic effects, 100-150 cc can result in death. Generally, we learned from the family history that several of our patients obtained it from the Fatih area. One was brought in by the 112 emergency service, and 2 came on their own feet, but they deteriorate very quickly. Despite coming on their own feet, there were patients whose consciousness rapidly declined, and we had to intubate them. It’s like a partial poisoning; the methanol we refer to as counterfeit alcohol is something used in industrial areas," he said.

"COMPLAINTS ARE GENERALLY THINGS SEEN IN OTHER DISEASES"

Providing information about the problems that may arise in individuals after consuming counterfeit alcohol and warning citizens, Dr. Özkan continued: "It manifests with intestinal and stomach complaints, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes weakness; there may be changes in consciousness, and it can cause headaches. Patients who experience such complaints after consumption should definitely seek medical attention during this period. They may feel fine, but it can lead to very undesirable outcomes in a very short time. One of the reasons for the high mortality rates in counterfeit alcohol poisonings is this; the complaints are generally things seen in other diseases. If we can obtain a history related to suspicious alcohol consumption, we can speed up the process; otherwise, it may take a bit longer because we have to wait for laboratory parameters. We absolutely do not want the consumption of either the original or counterfeit alcohol. It damages the veins, can cause brain hemorrhages, and there has been an increase in applications during the New Year period, both before and slightly after."