It happened on Crete: Patient was given raki instead of contrast medium, ended up in ICU
- Written by E.Tsiliopoulos
A mixup in the bottle with the contrast material and a bottle of raki local spirits intended as a treat for staff, bexcame a dangerous adventure for an elderly Cretan who went for a simple CT examination in a public hospital and ended up in the ICU with symptoms of a stroke.
The elderly patient went to the hospital to check his digestive system, accompanied by a relative. But, as many people are used to on Crete, staff kept as is usual, a bottle of raki, and a box of kaltsounakia.
And there the confusion started, causing an incredible adventure that, coupled with the serious health problems he faced, led him to the Intensive Care Unit, from where he was fortunatel, eventuallyy discharged. According to information from Patris newspaper, the incident occurred about two weeks ago.
The elderly man went to the hospital to undergo an axial examination, and in order to be able to do the examination, he had to drink the contrast agent dissolved in water.
When the old man drank the first sip of the supposed contrast liquid that his relative gave him, he complained that the taste was very strong. "Do not worry," was the answer, "the medium has the flavor of anise, ouzo. Continue drinking ... ".
It is not known how many shots he had to drink, but suddenly the old man began to vomit, while the clinical picture he presented seemed similar to that of a stroke. Immediately, the medical staff was mobilized and the patient was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit, and it soon became clear what had happened.
The lucky thing is that this adventure ended without any other inconvenience, since the man soon got discharged and returned to his home.
