A man in China died after finishing a 1.5-liter bottle of Coke in ten minutes, his doctors wrote in a report in the Clinics and Research of Hepatology and Gastroenterology.
The 22-year-old, who was thought to have no disease, went to the emergency room of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital with complaints of acute upper abdominal pain and swelling that continued for four hours. On examination, his heart rate was 130 beats per minute. He also had problems such as low blood pressure and breathing only 32 times per minute.
A CT scan showed gas buildup in the portal vein, a “crazy radiological sign” indicating serious gastrointestinal issues, and gas cysts in the intestinal wall. In addition, the scan showed that his liver was not getting enough blood and oxygen due to gas accumulation in the portal vein that carries blood from the gastrointestinal tract, gallbladder, pancreas and spleen to the liver.
Upon questioning, the young man said that six hours ago, shortly before the onset of his symptoms, he had consumed the entire 1.5-liter bottle of Coke due to the hot weather. The team tried to relieve the pressure on the man’s intestines and treat his inflammation, giving him fluids. Unfortunately, these efforts were not enough to save him. The lack of oxygen in the liver caused severe liver damage that got worse.
“Portal vein pneumatosis is a rare clinical manifestation, also known as the sign of death, and can be commonly seen in patients with abdominal infection and intestinal hypertension,” the team wrote in their report. The report continued as follows: “In this case, drinking a large amount of cola in a short time first caused gas to accumulate in the intestinal tract. Then the intestinal pressure suddenly increased, which resulted in high pressure and then caused gas to accumulate in the portal vein. Eventually, the patient became ill with this condition. He died because of it.”
Although gas buildup in the portal vein can cause such problems and death, biochemist Professor Nathan Davies believes there is likely another underlying cause.
He told the Daily Mail, “Drinking just over 1.5 liters or three pints of a regular soft drink is very, very unlikely, that is incredibly unlikely, to be fatal. Usually, there are bacteria that cause this type of condition. “In this case, it’s the way to a place in the lining of the small intestine that shouldn’t be there.” He added that if the only cause of his death was the coke bottle, we would see many more deaths of this type in the world.
Davies concluded: “It’s possible that drinking large amounts of soda may have worsened the condition, but it doesn’t have to be the only reason. But it’s hard to see what might happen when there’s no underlying condition.”
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