Warning about using traditional medicine without proper indications

Recently, the Emergency Department, 108 Military Central Hospital received a case of BTH patient (male, 50 years old) admitted to the hospital. About 1 hour before admission, the patient suddenly had a headache, vomited, had difficulty speaking, had left hemiplegia, and had a blood pressure of 200/120 mmHg.

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Notably, according to the patient's family, after the above symptoms appeared, the patient and his family self-assessed that the patient had a stroke and self-administered traditional medicine (An Cung Ngưu Hoàng Hoàn) of foreign origin.

After taking the medicine, the symptoms did not improve, and even became more severe. The patient was admitted to the Emergency Department of the 108 Military Central Hospital for a brain computed tomography (CTA) angiography, the results showed a cerebral hemorrhage in the right central gray nucleus, with no abnormalities in the cerebral blood vessels.

The patient was given first aid and initial treatment according to the cerebral hemorrhage protocol at the Emergency Department, then transferred to the Stroke Department for further treatment, and is now in stable condition. However, this case has provided a serious warning about the arbitrary use of traditional medicine without prescription.

There are two types of stroke: cerebral infarction (accounting for 88%) and cerebral hemorrhage. According to world statistics, stroke is the second leading cause of death and the leading cause of disability.

This danger has caused panic and fear of stroke in the majority of people, seeking ways to prevent and treat it as soon as possible.

However, not everyone has enough knowledge and understanding in stroke prevention and treatment, so there have been many cases of people arbitrarily using drugs or folk remedies to self-treat stroke.

Despite being warned many times in the media over the years, the Hospital still encountered many cases where people, after showing signs of stroke, took An Cung Ngưu Hoàng Hoàn without a doctor's prescription.

Previously, information from Phu Tho General Hospital said that the facility had just saved the life of a female patient, D.TH (Thanh Ba district, Phu Tho), who suffered from hemorrhagic shock due to blood clotting disorder when abusing An Cung medicine.

Ms. H. has a history of high blood pressure and diabetes for more than 10 years and is currently taking daily medication. In 2014 and 2019, she suffered a stroke, leaving her with left-sided weakness, so her family bought An Cung medicine for her to take regularly.

Four days before being admitted to the hospital, she had abdominal pain, bloating, and urinary retention. She was treated at a lower-level hospital for three days, then transferred to the Intensive Care Unit, Phu Tho General Hospital in a state of lethargy, respiratory failure, low blood pressure, pale skin and mucous membranes, abdominal pain, and large amounts of bright red blood in her stool.

Tests showed that the patient had severe anemia and coagulation disorder, lacking all endogenous coagulation factors.

Brain MRI showed multiple new cerebral infarctions in both cerebral hemispheres; gastroscopy showed gastritis. The patient was treated with intensive resuscitation, respiratory control by endotracheal intubation, mechanical ventilation, transfusion of red blood cells, fresh frozen plasma, high dose vitamin K1, etc.

According to the Drug Administration of Vietnam, Ministry of Health , the drug named An Cung nguu hoang hoan circulating on the Vietnamese market has many origins from China, Korea, North Korea... imported into Vietnam.

This agency clearly stipulates that drugs can only be used with prescription, for the correct indications and under the close supervision of a traditional medicine specialist or oriental medicine practitioner.

In particular, the drug is contraindicated in cases of extensive cerebral infarction or cerebral hemorrhage, because it affects the patient's blood clotting process. When using the drug, it will increase the risk of bleeding or difficult-to-stop bleeding, making the disease worse.

Non-specialists will not be able to distinguish the type of stroke, so arbitrarily buying An Cung Nguu Hoang Hoan medicine for the purpose of preventing or self-treating stroke is something that should be absolutely avoided.

If there are any signs of an acute stroke, the immediate action is to take the patient to the nearest hospital as quickly as possible. Never give the patient medication or take unnecessary measures that delay the emergency process and may make the condition worse. Remember, every minute that passes can determine the patient's survival.