Severe infection and necrosis of skin because of arbitrarily using herbal medicines to treat

13/04/2021 07:15

Recently, the mass media have continuously made recommendations about the unfortunate consequences of using traditional medicines of unknown origin. Because of believing in advertisements on social networks, many people have used these supposedly “healthy” products in a rampant way, as a result, the disease has not been recovered yet, but has to face “money loss and gill disability”.

 

 

Within the past 20 days, Septic Surgery & Wound Care Department, Viet Duc University Hospital has received 2 consecutive cases from remote area with severe necrotic skin infections after self-treatment by using herbal medicine. The wound was red, draining pus, patients had high fever and were transferred to Viet Duc University Hospital in a state of serious infection, showing signs of multi-organ failure, dangerous to life.

 

The first case was Mr. Giang A T. (Male, 28 years old), ethnic H’mong (Tram Tau, Yen Bai). During a trip to the forest due to an insect bite, T did not go to hospital for examination, but took herbal medicine to cover it. Not long after, the wound spreads necrosis from thighs to groin and scrotum, exposing the testicles. When arriving at Viet Duc University Hospital, the patient was lethargic, tested showing signs of liver and kidney failure and his family intended to take him back home for death. After consulting and explaining to family members, the patient was quickly operated on in emergency, extensive dialysis, removal of necrotic organization, hemostasis, and open wound. After surgery, in addition to resuscitation, infusion, strong antibiotics. It was expected that patient will continue to undergo several surgeries for skin debridement, closure of skin and repair of scrotum later.

 

The second case was Mr. Ha V T. (Male, 57 years old) in Thanh Son, Phu Tho. 1 week ago, Mr. T had a small boil in his left armpit. The patient has voluntarily applied herbal medicine at home. From a small boil, both whole area and left chest has become diffuse inflammation and necrosis. Doctors at Viet Duc University Hospital operated for debridement, left exposing the wound, used strong antibiotics and changed the dressing regularly with special wound care products.

 

Fortunately, both patients were promptly transferred to hospital and operated by specialists from Septic Surgery & Wound Care Department, Viet Duc University Hospital, so the consequences were avoided the unfortunates and currently recovering.

 

Ass. Prof. Nguyen Duc Chinh – MD, PhD, Former Head of Septic Surgery & Wound Care Department added: Myself and Mr. Pham Vu Hung – MD, MS, Head of department directly operating with doctors in the department, trying very hard to save patient’s life, but also advise them and their families to avoid unfortunate consequences in the future. Even the case of a patient who recently reported complications due to arbitrary medicine administration said “my family uses traditional medicine for three generations”, so people could not underestimate illness, and needed to see a doctor for advice treatment.