Poisonous gin: How to give first aid

By Frederick Womakuyu

WHEN Wanderema, a 50-year-old resident of Kulambiro in Kampala, died of a “strange illness”, residents were quick to say he had been bewitched.
At the time of his death, Wanderema had lost his vision, was vomiting, had seizures and low body temperature.

But Dr. Joseph Senzoga, the disease surveillance response coordinator for Kampala, says when one experiences those symptoms, a health worker should be called immediately.

“These are the critical signs of acute alcohol poisoning.” In the recent past about 26 people have reportedly died due to poisonous vodka.

The Government is investigating the cause of the deaths in Kampala, Mpigi, Masaka and Kasese districts. “They may have taken drinks containing methyl alcohol, a deadly poison,” he says.

Julius Monday, a senior clinical officer at Kikyo Health Centre IV in Bundibugyo district, says methyl alcohol is a poisonous chemical found in paint remover.

“Most people who brew illegal alcohol add methyl to make it stronger.”
Monday says alcohol poisoning is common because alcohol already has toxic products.

“Good alcohol contains ethanol, which makes people feel satisfied after drinking. However, the products from ethanol, like acetate, undergo complete metabolism in the liver and are passed out as waste.”

He adds that ethanol has a low content of the harmful products. “If someone wants to increase the content, he adds methanol, a very poisonous chemical that cannot be broken down by the liver. In that case, it paralyses the liver.”

The liver is not able to break down other products of metabolism. The central nervous system stops functioning properly. “You could get a breakdown of the nerves and respiratory system, or lose your vision,” Monday says.

Excessive intake of methyl alcohol, especially the crude one made in the villages, is lethal.

“If one appears sleepy or dizzy after consuming the poisonous content, this is a sign that he may be about to die.

If you try to wake him up and he doesn’t respond, check the breathing rate, whether the feet are cold, or the skin is pale and bluish and call a doctor immediately.”

Dr. Simon Ekete of Soroti Imaging Medic Laboratory says fatal symptoms include slow breathing of less than eight breaths a minute, or 10 seconds or more between two breaths.

If one vomits while unconscious and they do not wake up during or after vomiting, this could be a sign of alcohol poisoning.

Other symptoms include confusion, unconsciousness, coma, seizures and low body temperature.

Ekete says the first step is to give first aid and call for help. “If one is vomiting, stay with the person and keep him sitting up. Make sure he is lying on the side and the head turned to one side.

Watch out for signs of choking. Do not give them anything to eat or drink to sober them up. Do not give them water to drink or put them in cold water because it lowers the body temperature and may cause death,” he warns.

To test for poisoning, a doctor takes a sample of urine and blood to determine.” After confirming it is alcohol poisoning, the patient is given body replacement therapy. “Sugar or glucose replaces the lost glucose in the body.

One is also given a lot of fluids to replace the lost ones, but this must be done by a health worker. Milk also helps to stop absorption of the methanol.”

The victim is usually given disulfiram over a period of six months,” he adds.