Prevention and treatment of moldy sugarcane poisoning

Moldy sugarcane poisoning refers to acute food poisoning caused by eating moldy sugarcane which is improperly preserved. It is a common fungal food poisoning in the north of Huaihe River in China. Because sugarcane eaters are mainly people aged 3 to 16 years old, their discrimination and alertness are low, so poisoning mostly occurs in children and young people. February to March every year is a high incidence season, which can endanger life or leave nervous system sequelae. The case fatality rate is more than 10%.

Characteristics of moldy sugarcane poisoning

Moldy sugarcane poisoning usually occurs within 15 minutes ~ 8 hours after eating, and sometimes lasts as long as 48 hours.

1. Mild poisoning: first of all, it is characterized by temporary gastrointestinal dysfunction (nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, etc.), and nervous system symptoms (headache, dizziness, blackening in front of the eyes, diplopia). The more severe gastrointestinal symptoms are aggravated, frequent nausea, vomiting, and drowsiness may occur.

2. Severe poisoning: after the appearance of the above symptoms, convulsions and coma occur soon. Convulsions are characterized by paroxysmal spasms, each for 1-2 minutes, and can occur many times a day. After the seizure, he is in a coma, and the eyeball looks up and the pupils are dilated. Acute pulmonary edema and hematuria can also occur. The body temperature is normal at the initial stage and can be increased after 3-5 days. The disease usually begins to recover after 5 or 10 days. There can be sequelae of the nervous system, such as systemic spastic paralysis, de-cortical syndrome and so on.

Preventive measures of moldy sugarcane poisoning

1. Sugarcane must be harvested after maturity to prevent mildew easily due to immaturity.

2. Sugarcane should be sold as soon as it is cut and not stored as far as possible.

3. Sugarcane should be ventilated and moistureproof during storage, be checked regularly and forbidden to sell in case of mildew.

4. Strengthen the propaganda of health knowledge and educate the masses not to buy or eat moldy sugarcane.

Treatment of moldy sugarcane poisoning

1. Early poisoning: vomiting should be induced immediately, followed by gastric lavage with 0.2% potassium permanganate solution. Activated carbon suspension can also be used to infuse the digestive tract with adsorbed toxins, sodium sulfate or mannitol catharsis, and colonic lavage if necessary.

2. General treatment: proper supplement of liquid to prevent dehydration, correction of acidosis and electrolyte disorder, and application of antibiotics to prevent secondary infection. Patients with severe cerebral edema can use hyperbaric oxygen therapy to increase blood oxygen content and relieve symptoms.

3. Symptomatic treatment: eliminate brain edema and improve cerebral circulation in the acute phase, and control the development of brain edema by intravenous administration of 20% mannitol, furosemide and 50% glucose alternately; in the recovery stage, brain cell metabolism and brain cell activators (such as cytidine choline, cerebrolysin, cytochrome C, etc.) can be used to protect brain tissue and prevent or reduce sequelae. During convulsions and convulsions, sedatives such as phenobarbital (Lumina) and diazepam are given appropriately, and chloral hydrate enema can also be given to children.