The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Debilitating effects of spurious liquor

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Thursday, May 22, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Debilitating effects of spurious liquor

Zohrab Reys Gamat

BANGALORE: While consuming alcohol is known to be injurious to health, the consequences in consuming illicit liquor is exponentially greater. Alcohol usually contains a small percentage of methyl alcohol along with ethyl alcohol, which is consumable. Illicitly distilled alcohol contains a larger amount of methyl alcohol, which renders it poisonous.

The Hindu spoke to Rajanna, Resident Medical Officer (RMO), Bowring Hospital, about the effect such poison was bound to have on those who consume it.

Methyl alcohol affects the ventral nervous system (which consists of the brain and the spinal chord), the cardio vascular system (involving the heart and the circulatory system), the respiratory system, the liver, kidney, and eyes.

As Dr. Rajanna puts it: “The only precaution to take is not to consume illicit liquor. Once it is consumed, there is not much one can do but get admitted to a hospital as soon as possible.” All it takes is 40 to 60 ml to make it lethal, which makes treatment of mass consumption of the adulterated alcohol near impossible. It is for this reason that most patients do not survive. The “fatal period”, as doctors call it, lasts two to four days during which the patient must seek extensive medical care to have a chance.

If the patients make it to the hospital in time, the first action of the doctors is to pump out the alcohol that has not yet been absorbed by the blood.

Doctors then concentrate on the affected organs. With most organ systems failing rapidly, the complications involved in the treatment are overwhelming. Sometimes, 10 per cent ethyl alcohol is administered to counter the effects of methyl alcohol. The symptoms are varied, which include deteriorating sight, fatigue, vomiting and bleeding amongst many othersThe symptoms depend on the amount of consumption and time lag, which are key factors in deciding the chances of survival. “Even if they do survive, most will suffer from permanent damage to their eyesight,” said Dr. Rajanna.

As most of the consumers are daily wage workers, this impediment will prove to be life-shattering for themselves and their relatives. “Such fatalities occur often. They get media attention only when they happen on such a large scale.”

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