Situation of Puffer fish poisoning treated at the Intensive care unit of Hue Central hospital for 5 years (from 2000 to 2004)

For 5 years, the Intensive care unit of Hue central hospital treated 24 patients suffering from Puffer fish poisoning. Puffer fish are found in seas and rivers. 24 These 24 cases occurred in the sea areas of Thua Thien Hue province. Puffer fish contains Tetrodotoxin which is a potent neurotoxin. The specific clinical symptoms at admission: paresthetic tongue and lips (24 patients), paresthetic limbs, abdomen and chest (21 patients), abdominal pain and vomiting (20 patients), sweating (8 patients), headache (7 patients), bradycardia (7 patients), respiratory muscle paralysis must be artificial ventilation (1 patient). Treatment with gastric lavage, then ingestion of activated charcoal plus sorbitol is effective method. There was no deaths.