Teen’s Legs and Fingers Amputated After Eating Leftover Noodles
A 19-year-old had both legs amputated below the knee and lost parts of his fingers after developing a dangerous bacterial infection as a result of eating leftover noodles.
Identified only as JC, according to Fox the young man was taken by a friend to an emergency room for treatment after developing severe symptoms related to eating a leftover dish.
JC reportedly experienced stomach pain and nausea. He also suffered from chest pain, stiffness and discolored skin. While his friend ate some of the meal and was ill, they did not develop such severe symptoms.
The college student's conditioned worsened while at the hospital. He was taken from the emergency room to a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Newsweek reports that he was transported between the two by air.
The teen experienced a 105 degree fever and an extremely elevated heart rate. Fox reports that doctors documented the teen suffered from "shock, multiple organ failure and a rash."
The purple rash on his body was evidence of a serious condition that was causing his skin to essentially die. According to Newsweek, JC was eventually diagnosed with a bacterial infection called Neisseria meningitidis, which caused clotting issues and affected his liver.
JC, who had reportedly not received all of the recommended doses of the meningococcal conjugate vaccine, was suffering as a result of meningococcal septicemia.
Although doctors reported that his recovery was "mostly good" at the time, he did develop gangrene, which is what led to the amputations.
JC's case has led to questions about food safety. Newsweek urges readers to keep leftovers refrigerated and to reheat them before eating them later.
Although the teen's plight is getting covered now, it was first reported about in The New England Journal of Medicine in early 2021.
His case is drawing attention after being recently covered in a YouTube video, which amassed more than 1 million views after appearing online earlier this month.
The video was uploaded by user Chubbyemu, a "licensed provider trained and based in the United States" who makes medical videos about unique cases they or their colleagues have encountered.
Watch the full video below: