Medical warnings issued in Vietnam following severe health complications

Medical professionals in Vietnam are issuing warnings following two distinct clinical cases involving improper self-treatment and accidental injury.

A 32-year-old patient in Hanoi was diagnosed with severe complications after years of self-medicating gout pain with over-the-counter painkillers. The patient developed tophi deposits causing joint deformities and exhibited symptoms of pseudo-Cushing syndrome, including a 20kg weight gain, edema, and muscle atrophy, due to the long-term unsupervised use of glucocorticoids.

In a separate pediatric case, a 7-month-old boy required emergency intervention after choking on eel bone fragments. The foreign objects had lodged deep within his airway, causing severe respiratory failure. Specialists from Children's Hospital 2 collaborated with Children's Hospital City to successfully remove three bone fragments using flexible bronchoscopy, stabilizing the infant's breathing.