Don't let "home remedies" turn into "poison"! A woman swallowed raw fish gallbladder and her liver function was seriously damaged

It is said among the people that fish gall can clear the liver, improve eyesight, remove internal heat and detoxify. However, few people know that fish gall is extremely toxic and not only can it not cure diseases, it can be fatal.

Recently, an elderly female patient, suffering from internal heat and blurred vision, believed the folk remedy that "fish gall can improve eyesight". As a result, three hours after swallowing raw fish gall, she developed symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and dizziness.

After the emergency department of Loudi Central Hospital admitted the patient, it was found that the patient's transaminase was significantly elevated, and the aspartate aminotransferase was as high as 7755u/l, indicating that the liver function was seriously damaged. This shows that fish gallbladder should not be eaten casually, and it may be life-threatening if you are not careful.

1. Causes and mechanisms of fish gallbladder poisoning

Most of the fish poisoning cases are freshwater fish, such as black carp, grass carp, silver carp, carp, etc. The mechanism of fish bile poisoning is mainly the direct damage and toxicity of fish bile to the body. The main components of fish bile are bile salts, sodium cyprinid sulfate, histamine, hydrocyanic acid, etc. Fish bile releases bile under the action of digestive enzymes in the stomach. The toxic substances in the bile are absorbed into the blood through the intestinal mucosa and metabolized by the liver and kidneys.

On the one hand, toxic substances directly act on the human body, causing cell necrosis and tissue damage, resulting in corresponding clinical manifestations; on the other hand, toxins lead to the body's stress response, releasing inflammatory mediators to induce systemic inflammatory response and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS).

2. What are the clinical manifestations of fish gallbladder poisoning?

Symptoms of fish gall bladder poisoning are affected by the amount of intake and individual differences. The incubation period is usually 0.5-3 hours, and usually includes the following aspects:

1. Gastrointestinal symptoms: nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, etc.

2. Liver damage: enlarged liver, pain in the liver area, jaundice, abnormal liver function, etc.

3. Kidney damage: soreness and swelling in the lower back and back, proteinuria, hematuria, oliguria, anuria. Acute renal failure is the most fatal damage of fish gall poisoning and often occurs 1-4 days after the onset of the disease.

4. Neurological symptoms: dizziness, headache, drowsiness, numbness of distal limbs, lips and tongue, and in severe cases, delirium, convulsions, coma, etc.

5. Symptoms of the blood system: Some severe cases may develop hemolysis, resulting in vomiting blood, bloody stools, nosebleeds, etc.

6. Toxic cardiomyopathy: palpitations, chest tightness, tachycardia, heart failure, etc.

3. How to treat fish gallbladder poisoning

1. Induce vomiting: In the early stages of poisoning, vomiting can be used to reduce the absorption of poison.

2. Gastric lavage and catharsis: Go to the hospital as soon as possible to perform gastric lavage and catharsis to remove residual fish gall in the digestive tract and reduce the absorption of toxins.

3. Adrenal cortical hormones: Corticosteroids, such as dexamethasone or hydrocortisone, should be used early to reduce the response of the renal tubules to toxins.

4. Blood purification therapy: Patients who have taken large doses of fish gall orally should undergo blood purification therapy as soon as possible.

5. Symptomatic supportive treatment: fluid replacement, correction of water-electrolyte and acid-base disorders; diuresis and detoxification; protection of liver and kidney functions, etc.

4. How to prevent fish gallbladder poisoning

1. Strengthen the publicity of scientific knowledge about fish gallbladder poisoning in rural and remote areas. Do not believe in rumors that fish gallbladder can cure diseases, and do not try it blindly.

2. Warn people to avoid eating fish gall bladders raw and to cook fish products properly before eating.

3. When killing fish, avoid breaking the fish gallbladder and contaminating the fish meat. If the fish gallbladder is accidentally broken, cut off the fish meat contaminated with bile.

Kind tips:

Please do not believe the rumor that fish gall can cure diseases. There is currently no targeted and effective antidote for fish gall poisoning in medicine. If you accidentally ingest fish gall, you should go to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible. If the poisoning is not treated in time, it may cause multiple organ failure and eventually lead to death.

Hunan Medical Chat Special Author: Li Jianhui, Emergency Department, Loudi Central Hospital

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(Edited by Wx)