A woman suffered liver failure after eating two super sweet pineapples! Be careful, it’s hot!

Now is the season when fruits and melons are fragrant. While everyone is enjoying them, they should also be careful not to be greedy when tasting, and they should not eat rotten fruits.

Aunt Zhang (pseudonym), 60 years old from Zhejiang, is still in shock. Because she ate two overripe pineapples, she had diarrhea for more than ten days and even suffered from acute liver failure .

01

Pineapple is sweet, but it has a strong aftertaste

Not long ago, Aunt Zhang, who lives alone, spent 10 yuan on a grocery shopping platform and bought two "Hainan tree-ripened pineapples". As soon as the pineapples were delivered to her home, Aunt Zhang smelled the fruity fragrance.

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However, because Aunt Zhang was temporarily dragged out by her friends to travel, the pineapple was temporarily "neglected" at home. Three or four days later, Aunt Zhang returned home and found that the whole house was filled with the rich fragrance of pineapple.

After Aunt Zhang peeled the pineapple, she found that the inside of the flesh after removing the "clothes" had turned dark yellow. Juice would flow out if she pressed the flesh lightly .

“Could it be rotten?” Just as she was about to throw it away, Aunt Zhang leaned in to smell it. The pineapple didn’t have any bad smell. She took a bite and it was surprisingly sweet!

"This is totally worth it!" Aunt Zhang finished one pineapple in one go, and the next day she peeled and cut another pineapple into pieces, then squeezed it into juice and drank it.

A few hours after drinking the pineapple juice, Aunt Zhang started having diarrhea and went to the bathroom more than ten times a day. But because they were all normal bowel movements, Aunt Zhang didn't take it seriously, thinking it was just the pineapple residue that helped with constipation.

As a result, the "laxative" effect lasted for more than ten days. Aunt Zhang originally planned to go to the hospital for a check-up, but when she thought that the physical examination appointment would be in half a month, there was no need to spend extra money to go to the hospital for another check-up.

This dragged on for half a month until Aunt Zhang went to the local hospital for her annual physical examination as scheduled. While waiting in line, the physical examination nurse spotted Aunt Zhang's sallow complexion in the crowd and immediately pulled her aside: This skin color looks like high jaundice, and it is recommended that she do a liver function test directly .

Examination revealed that Aunt Zhang's liver function indicators were "off the charts", with alanine aminotransferase as high as 1400 U/L (normal is 0-40 U/L), total bilirubin close to 400 μmol/L (normal should be less than 26 μmol/L), and blood albumin only 21 g/L (normal should be above 40 g/L).

Aunt Zhang was sent to the local hospital's emergency room for treatment. Further examination showed that she was close to liver failure, and she was subsequently transferred to the Department of Infectious Diseases at Zhejiang University First Hospital for treatment.

02

Good physical foundation

Why did liver failure suddenly occur?

He had no history of chronic liver disease, did not drink alcohol, and did not take liver-damaging drugs. He had annual physical examinations and was in good health. The local hospital's tests for viral hepatitis indicators such as hepatitis A and hepatitis E were all negative. After careful questioning, Chen Yanfei, deputy chief physician of the Department of Infectious Diseases of Zhejiang University First Hospital, quickly ruled out common liver damages such as viral hepatitis, drug-induced hepatitis, and alcoholic hepatitis.

"The onset of the disease was due to eating two ripe pineapples, but there was no fever and the inflammatory indicators were not high." After analyzing the progression of Aunt Zhang's disease, Chen Yanfei also ruled out sepsis-related liver damage caused by bacterial infection.

Could it be toxic food poisoning?

Some bacteria produce toxins after contaminating food, and the food poisoning caused is called toxin-type food poisoning. But what kind of bacteria produced the toxins that led to Aunt Zhang's liver failure?

Chen Yanfei said that there have been reports in the literature of Bacillus cereus toxin poisoning causing liver failure and even multiple organ failure. However, since the "culprit" that caused Aunt Zhang's diarrhea has been completely eliminated, it is impossible to verify whether it is Bacillus cereus, but it cannot be ruled out.

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According to Dr. Sheng Jifang, chief physician and director of the infectious disease department, Bacillus cereus is an aerobic, mesophilic, spore-forming Gram-positive bacillus. It is a common contaminant in food and cosmetics. Its favorite growth temperature is between 28 and 35 degrees Celsius, so it is highly prevalent in this season.

At present, after a series of symptomatic treatments, Aunt Zhang's liver function has stabilized and improved, and she has been discharged from the hospital and returned home to continue recuperation.

03

These foods are left overnight

May also produce toxins

The weather is getting hotter, and many foods cannot be kept at room temperature for long. When faced with leftovers at home, many people will face a dilemma: throw them away? Or heat them up and continue eating?

First of all, we should make it clear that the overnight dishes we often talk about are not literally the food that has been left overnight. Scientifically speaking, dishes that have been left for more than 8 to 10 hours are considered overnight dishes.

Lu Mengshan from the Clinical Nutrition Department of Hangzhou Cancer Hospital reminds us that overnight meals, during the storage and reheating process, will not only cause the destruction and loss of some nutrients, but will also easily breed bacteria, which can easily cause gastrointestinal discomfort or even food poisoning after consumption.

It is best not to eat overnight meals . If you want to eat leftover dinner on the same day and use it as breakfast tomorrow, you must remember to store it scientifically.

1. Refrigerate promptly

The low temperature of the refrigerator can inhibit the growth of bacteria and relatively reduce the production of nitrite.

2. Store separately

When storing leftovers in the refrigerator, be sure to store them separately at low temperatures to avoid cross contamination. Use clean containers with lids or cover them with plastic wrap.

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3. Heat thoroughly

Leftovers must be heated thoroughly before consumption. Thorough heating means heating the leftovers to a core temperature of over 70°C for 3 minutes.

Doctors remind that some leftover food can be eaten, but try to eat less, prepare meals according to demand, and cook as much as you eat. Special groups such as the elderly, pregnant women, children, and people with chronic diseases should be cautious when eating leftover food. Leftover food should not be heated more than once, and it is recommended to be eaten within 2 days. If it exceeds 3 days, it is best to throw it away.

Source: People's Daily Online Science News, Zhejiang University First Hospital, Chao News

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