We’ve all done it. We get Chinese food. We eat it. We can’t finish it since the order is usually large enough to feed a small army. So, we put it in containers and save it for later. Everyone eats leftovers. For one 19-year-old, a night of eating Chinese leftovers nearly killed him. In what is being called a medical “perfect storm” of events, a massive infection soon followed which led to the loss of limbs, multiple organ failure, and a heinous skin rash. This Chinese leftover tale from hell was documented in The New England Journal of Medicine. A simple meal of rice, chicken, and lo mein set off this near-death experience. In the end, the person lost his legs and fingers (via NY Post):
Dr. Bernard Hsu, a licensed toxicologist, described how the young man became severely ill after eating tainted leftovers, including lo mein, chicken and rice.
“This was a freak accident happening in a perfect storm sequence of events,” Hsu, who did not treat the man, in a YouTube video on Feb 16.
The teen’s case was first reported in March 2021 in The New England Journal of Medicine, which detailed how he was admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital as he was suffering from “shock, multiple organ failure, skin mottling, and a rapidly progressive reticular rash.”
“The patient had been well until 20 hours before this admission, when diffuse abdominal pain and nausea developed after he ate rice, chicken, and lo mein leftovers from a restaurant meal,” the outlet said.
[…]
He underwent blood and urine tests and was diagnosed with a bacterial infection called Neisseria meningitidis, which caused his blood to clot and his liver to fail.
His skin necrosis was said to be caused by “purpura fulminans,” a severe complication of meningococcal septicemia.
[…]
After getting parts of all fingers and his legs below his knees amputated, the man went on to have a “relatively good recovery.”
A friend had eaten the same meal as the victim and vomited — but did not become progressively sick, according to the report.
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Okay, well, maybe chuck that food in the fridge if it made you sick. Or at least tell your roommate that the Chinese food was funky. This is a creepy case. It’s a creepy video too, but it’s rare. Very rare. Don’t freak out. Also, maybe inform the health department about the restaurant where this food originated.
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