Henan woman dies 10 minutes after feeling unwell following hotpot meal

Recently, a 26-year-old woman from Henan named Xiaoyuan (pseudonym) ate a spicy hot pot with friends and later felt a sore throat. Her condition worsened, leading to her passing away after only 10 minutes of seeking medical treatment at the hospital.

According to a report by the Yinchuan Evening News on April 13, the Henan Zhengzhou People’s Hospital revealed that Xiaoyuan, 26 years old, ended her overtime work and had a spicy hot pot meal with friends. Upon returning home after the gathering, she felt a slight sore throat. The next morning, Xiaoyuan’s throat pain significantly worsened, accompanied by difficulty in breathing. Realizing the severity of her condition, she quickly went to the hospital. Unfortunately, as soon as she arrived at the hospital, Xiaoyuan collapsed.

Medical staff made every effort to save her, but were unable to revive her, and she passed away just 10 minutes after seeking medical attention.

Doctors diagnosed the cause of her death as acute epiglottitis.

Xiaoyuan’s case is not an isolated one. According to a previous report by the Zhejiang Provincial Health Commission, in May 2024, a man in his thirties named Xiaowei went to the ENT emergency room at night due to a sore throat. He mentioned that he had felt like he was catching a cold a few days earlier, took some medicine casually, didn’t think much of it, and later felt his throat getting more painful.

After a medical examination, doctors found that he had acute epiglottitis. They recommended Xiaowei to be hospitalized and immediately arranged for him to receive oxygen. While receiving oxygen, Xiaowei suddenly experienced respiratory and cardiac arrest. Medical personnel performed CPR and an emergency tracheotomy on him.

After the rescue efforts, Xiaowei recovered.

Experts from mainland China introduced that the epiglottis is a leaf-shaped structure located between the front part of the throat and the base of the tongue, composed of epiglottic cartilage and mucosa. When speaking or breathing, the epiglottis moves upward to open the throat; when swallowing, it covers the entrance to prevent food from entering the throat. The mucosal tissue on the surface of the tongue is loose and can severely swell during infection.

Acute epiglottitis is one of the severe and critical conditions in otolaryngology, which is a special acute inflammatory disease affecting the epiglottis and its surrounding tissues. When the epiglottis is highly swollen, it can significantly obstruct the airway and even cause suffocation, making it a more dangerous and serious illness.

Symptoms include severe throat pain, difficulty swallowing, and in severe cases, breathing difficulties that can lead to choking. Acute epiglottitis develops rapidly and often presents with stridor (abnormal breathing sounds during inhalation) within 24 hours of onset.

Doctors advise that if there is persistent throat pain and difficulty swallowing, prompt medical attention should be sought. Currently, there are no self-help methods for acute epiglottitis. If the aforementioned symptoms occur, immediate medical attention is necessary, and it is best to go to the hospital promptly for a thorough examination of the cause. Due to the high risk associated with acute epiglottitis, timing is critical in treatment. In case of airway obstruction, procedures like a tracheotomy may be necessary to ensure the airway remains open.

Doctors also mentioned that symptoms such as foreign body sensation in the throat, throat itching, cough, hoarseness, choking cough, swallowing obstruction, and feeling of foreign body when swallowing should be promptly evaluated by a physician to determine the cause.