Phuket hospital defends treatment of woman who died of horseshoe crab poisoning

[snoop1130]

Phuket hospital defends treatment of woman who died of horseshoe crab poisoning

By Eakkapop Thongtub

 

Speaking at Ms Wanathana’s funeral, uncle Anukul Leng-ie said he wants justice for the death of his niece. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

 

PHUKET:-- The operators of Phuket Provincial Hospital have denied the allegation that they were negligent in the medical care provided to a 46-year-old woman who later died of poisoning from eating a young horseshoe crab.

 

Wanthana Phutcho, 46, died on Sunday (Oct 4) after eating a horseshoe crab that she caught with a friend near Soi King Kaew, Rassada.

 

Speaking at her daughter’s funeral on Monday, Ms Wanthana’s mother, Somjai Kingwongsa, 64, explained to reporters that she and her daughter went foraging for cockles in the mangroves on Sunday morning. While collecting the small clams, they also caught three horseshoe crabs and brought them home.

 

Full Story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-hospital-defends-treatment-of-woman-who-died-of-horseshoe-crab-poisoning-77570.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2020-10-07

 

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[pjuk]

Between 1994 and 2006, a total of 280 cases of varying degrees of tetrodotoxin poisoning following ingestion of the toxic eggs of the horseshoe crab.

The death rate was 2%.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18564717/

 

I like the roe from Horseshoe crabs but I will be very careful after reading this article.

[me4175]

"She was given three types of medicines and an injection, and then allowed her to return home."

Let me guess, one of these was Paracetamol! ????

Stupid as it may have been of her, with the correct treatment she may well still be alive. I understand their frustration.

[johng]

3 hours ago, pjuk said:

tetrodotoxin poisoning

Apparently there is no antidote   so if it was this poison the hospital couldn't really do anything

but probably should have kept her in for observation and maybe provide oxygen ?

 

Quote

First Aid

• GENERAL INFORMATION: Initial treatment is primarily supportive.
• ANTIDOTE: There is no antidote for tetrodotoxin toxicity.

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ershdb/emergencyresponsecard_29750019.html

[Sheryl]

15 minutes ago, johng said:

Apparently there is no antidote   so if it was this poison the hospital couldn't really do anything

but probably should have kept her in for observation and maybe provide oxygen ?

 

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ershdb/emergencyresponsecard_29750019.html

Life support measures (ventilator, in soemcases dialysis) in most cases will save the opatien't life by buying time until the body has eliminated the toxin

 

From what is reported it sounds like the hospital staff wrongly assumed this to be an allergic reaction to non-poisonous type of horshoecrab rather than recognizing it for what it was,  tetrodotoxin poisoning. There have been mass poisonings of this type in Thailand before due to mangrove horseshoe crabs.