Toads benefit a ten harms

Center for Poisoning Bach Mai Hospital (Hanoi) has received 3 people with severe poisoning toad, in which one died. The food considered by the folk to be this tonic is actually a very strong poison, often dead by it.

On toad skin there are many very toxic pus spots (Photo: naturephotosociety / VNE).

Dr. Nguyen Thi Du, Director of the Anti-Poison Center, said that each year, the facility receives about 10 cases of toad poisoning, some of which are among the family members. The most recent hospitalization (February 5) is the three people of Hung Nguyen and Nghe An. This 39-year-old man caught the toads, in which a female had eggs. You eat meat with two small children. Symptoms of poisoning appear at the end of the meal with dizzying dizziness, abdominal pain . 4-year-old youngest child quickly dies. The remaining two patients were taken to the local health station and transferred to Hanoi, to the Emergency Center. The health of the father and son has recovered.

Dr. Du said, toad poisoning is a serious emergency, if not handled promptly, the patient will die very quickly, even within an hour. Toad toxins cause very severe arrhythmias, which can lead to cardiac arrest and this is the cause of death. This toxin is found in the liver, eggs, intestines and especially on the skin; During processing, they can stick to meat and cause toxicity.

Symptoms of poisoning appear within 15-30 minutes: dizziness, dizziness, pain like prickling in the fingertips, toes, prolonged severe vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, lowering blood pressure; followed by cardiac arrhythmias, heart muscle spasms . Patients should be given immediate emergency, infusion, antiarrhythmic medication, even electrocution, using pacemakers and monitoring heart rate continuously.

According to Ms. Du, most people know to have poison but there are still many people who use it subjectively, believe in their care. That is why the poisoning of toads still appears.

"Tofu meat, rich in protein and calcium, is good for stunting and malnourished children" - Mai Hoa, a post office official explained the use of toad meat for her 1-year-old child, regardless accept the risks that she knew through books and newspapers. Nearly 1.6 million VND were gone after the big toad turned into a small bottle of pickles; and Hoa is excited and reassured because "she has supervised people from beginning to end, very clean" .

Dr. Nguyen Thi Lam, deputy director of the Institute of Nutrition acknowledges, toad meat is a very rich food in protein and zinc, so it works to promote good health. However, Ms. Lam suggested that only processed products with decent licensing should be used (the Institute of Nutrition also has this item), should not make or buy hawkers because there is no guarantee of substance poison does not stick to meat.

According to Nguyen Thi Kim Hung, a nutrition expert in HCM City, the nutritious level of toad meat is not worth the risk. The protein content of toad meat is high (about 22%) but it is only equivalent to frog and chicken meat, the amount of zinc is not equal to seafood. Therefore, if you need to be nutritious, you can choose these foods, both delicious and safe, cheaper than many times.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Du said that the food management agency should prohibit the sale of toad meat, free-roasted and freeze, only registered products are allowed to circulate. If not, more families will spend millions to buy poison.

Hai Ha