A drop more saves blind drunk man’s life
FOR Denis Duthie a bottle of whisky was exactly what the doctors ordered.
And one even rushed off to the bottle store for the vital medical supply.
Mr Duthie, a Taranaki chef, had Johnnie Walker whisky tube-fed directly into his stomach by doctors at Taranaki Base Hospital after he had a heavy vodka drinking session.
In July this year Mr Duthie, a diabetic of 20 years, was admitted to the hospital’s intensive care unit after he went blind while drinking at a 50th wedding anniversary party.
Mr Duthie supplied his Taranaki District Health Board medical records outlining his unusual hospital treatment.
The notes say doctors suspected the 65-year-old was suffering from formaldehyde (methanol) poisoning and decided to start alcohol infusion into his stomach via a tube through his nose.
But with no medical alcohol in the hospital a medical registrar had to pop down to the liquor store and buy a bottle of Johnnie Walker for the infusion.
That whisky was then infused into Mr Duthie’s stomach via a nasogastric tube. The ethanol (alcohol) in the whisky can reverse the effects of methanol poisoning.
Mr Duthie said it was his understanding that his diabetes medication mixed with the alcohol, triggering the reaction, rather than methanol poisoning.
Yesterday, Taranaki District Health Board spokeswoman Sue Carrington would say only that the patient was treated appropriately for the condition he came in with.
Mr Duthie, a chef tutor at the Western Institute of Taranaki Technology, said he was sharing his story so people would not make the same mistake he did.
He said he had been drinking Red Square Russian vodka on ice – a gift from his cooking students. This was followed by a few whiskies as well.
After about four hours of drinking he went to the bathroom and suddenly couldn’t see a thing. ‘‘All of a sudden I just went bloody blind.’’
He was put to bed and after waking up the next day, still unable to see, his wife took him straight to hospital. ‘‘I was in a bit of a panic,’’ he said.
Mr Duthie was admitted to the intensive care unit, where he underwent the unorthodox remedy. He was in intensive care for more than a week.
After 10 days he had his eyesight back and was in a stable condition so was discharged from hospital.
Mr Duthie said he remembered only small details of his time in intensive care. One of the few things he remembered was the doctor telling his wife she should say her last goodbyes.
He lost 14 kilograms in his first five days in intensive care.
Four months on and his sight was now ‘‘clear as a bell’’, he said. ‘‘I can see better now than I did before I went in.’’
Mr Duthie said he was taking five types of medication for his diabetes when he went blind. He was now on 14 types of medication.
The care he was given by the doctors and nurses was outstanding. ‘‘I thought chefs work long hours but they [medical staff] do a hell of a lot more hours compared to us.’’
The medical records said Mr Duthie was a ‘‘happy drinker’’.
He said he had not touched alcohol since the incident. But he would be having a tipple or two in February when he and his old army buddies caught up for a reunion. ‘‘I’ll be taking it easy.’’
Since the scare Mr Duthie had improved his diet and was now walking every day. His advice to all drinkers: ‘‘Curtail your drinking. Don’t do what I did or else you’ll be dead.’’