Close Call for 30-Year-Old Man Who Inhaled Laughing Gas

A resident of Tel Aviv in his 30s was taken to the Poriya Medical Center near Tiberias with neurological symptoms such as seizures, memory loss, and ringing in the ears. Doctors quickly realized that these symptoms were caused by the deliberate inhalation of laughing gas used to whip cream in balloons. If it weren’t for the timely intervention of the medical team, the patient could have faced irreversible damage or even death.

The doctors at Poriya Hospital contacted the patient’s relatives, who brought a cylinder of gas used in siphons for whipping cream to the hospital. This cylinder contained 2.2 liters of gas, as opposed to the household canisters that are typically abused by Israeli teenagers and young people. By identifying the exact cause of the poisoning, doctors were able to administer the appropriate treatment, including mechanical ventilation, which ultimately saved the patient’s life. However, the extent of neurological damage and whether it is permanent will only be determined after further tests.

Doctor Moshe Maruf of Poriya Hospital noted that there has been a growing number of cases involving the abuse of gas from household siphons, particularly among young people and teenagers. Many individuals do not realize the harmful effects of prolonged inhalation of this gas, which can lead to serious damage to the nervous and immune systems, causing brain damage, seizures, and chronic psychotic states. It is crucial to raise awareness about the dangers of abusing such substances to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.