On an oppressively hot afternoon, a 22‑year‑old Chinese man tried to beat the heat by downing roughly 1.5 litres of Coca‑Cola in just ten minutes. Within a few hours he was rushed to Chaoyang Hospital in Beijing, writhing in severe abdominal pain and with his stomach visibly swollen.
Sudden Deterioration
Emergency staff noted a rapid heartbeat, shallow breathing, and dangerously low blood pressure. Blood work revealed ischemic hepatitis – commonly referred to as shock liver, a condition that arises when the liver receives insufficient blood flow and oxygen.
Doctors traced the liver injury to a sudden surge of carbon dioxide gas from the fizzy drink, which likely entered a major hepatic vessel, obstructing circulation.
Aggressive Life‑Saving Measures
Immediate supportive therapy was launched to halt further damage. A repeat imaging study twelve hours after admission showed extensive liver necrosis despite the intensive care.
Unfortunately, the young man could not recover and died about 18 hours after arriving at the hospital. The case highlights that he was previously healthy, underscoring the potentially fatal risk of consuming an extreme volume of carbonated beverages in a short span.
