A 50-year-old Israeli man was hospitalized and placed in an induced coma after apparently being served a beverage laced with detergent in a local coffee chain on Sunday.
The man admitted himself to Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba and reported having trouble swallowing and a burning sensation in his mouth after drinking a beverage he bought at a nearby mall.
The man arrived at the emergency room with the beverage and the medical crew was told it was suspected to have contained a degreaser. A laboratory examination showed that the substance was some kind of fat solvent fluid.
"The patient arrived conscious but with a difficulty swallowing, a burning sensation around the mouth and the chest area, swollen lips, and vomiting," said Dr. Kobi Metzger of the hospital's Emergency Room.
"As soon as we realized that this was not an allergic reaction, but a response to a chemical agent, we immediately called an ENT specialist who diagnosed the patient had a blockage in his respiratory tract. The patient was immediately taken to the operating room...
Dr. Avda Mai, an anesthesiologist, said that the 50-year-old was sedated and connected to a ventilator, but his condition was stable.
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The Aroma Espresso Bar branch in which the man bought his drink in a Ra'anana shopping mall
(Photo: Yariv Katz)
Aroma Espresso Bar — the coffee chain in which the man bought the contaminated beverage — said in response that it takes the case very seriously and that a preliminary examination showed that the beverage contained a translucent cleaning solution, which one of the employees accidentally used to make a drink that was served to the customer.
"We sincerely apologize to the customer for this grave incident, and we wish for his rapid recovery. We will to communicate and improve our procedures regarding the use of cleaning materials in the discussed branch and all other of the chain's branches to prevent such events in the future."