How can good blood suddenly turn white?

Mr. Gao (pseudonym) has a lot of work pressure and often works overtime. After working overtime, he would eat barbecue and drink beer with colleagues or friends. Unlike most people who worry about gaining weight, he lost nearly 20 kilograms. After a sudden abdominal pain, the doctor diagnosed that Mr. Gao had acute pancreatitis with symptoms of diabetes. During hemodialysis and plasma exchange, Mr. Gao's blood had turned milky white.

Coincidentally, at the end of July this year, Ms. Li (pseudonym), who was 32 weeks pregnant, was sent to the West Hospital of Anhui Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital for treatment due to "sudden acute upper abdominal pain." Emergency examination found that her blood was milky white liquid, and she was diagnosed with: acute severe pancreatitis, hyperlipidemia, pregnancy complicated with hypertension, and pregnancy complicated with diabetes.

But how come the blood turned white?

The scientific name of this "milky blood" is chylosing, which simply means "blood with floating oil". It is a symptom caused by excessive blood lipids in the human body.

Experts said that with the improvement of people's living standards and changes in eating habits, the incidence of acute pancreatitis caused by hyperlipidemia has increased. It has a rapid, acute and complex onset, and can cause systemic inflammatory response syndrome in the early stage of onset, and can even be life-threatening. Pregnant women are very likely to develop hyperlipidemia, bile stasis, etc., and severe cases may be complicated by pancreatitis.

Li Huaiyun, director of the Department of General Internal Medicine at the West Hospital of Anhui Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, suggested that for people with high blood lipids, patients with hyperlipidemia should control their diet and try not to eat or eat less foods high in fat and sugar, such as fatty meat, animal offal, fried food, etc. On the other hand, they should exercise moderately and control their weight. In particular, patients with hyperlipidemia pancreatitis should be more cautious in controlling triglyceride levels after recovery, and go to the hospital for regular checkups. If sudden symptoms occur, they should not be careless and should go to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment in time.

Pregnant women and women planning to become pregnant should have a liver, gallbladder and pancreas ultrasound check in advance. If there are any problems, they should receive follow-up treatment and adjust their diet under the guidance of a professional doctor to reduce dangerous situations after pregnancy.