Serious Warning to Parents: Two Young Brothers Hospitalized in Intensive Care
The two children arrived at Shaare Zedek Medical Center suffering from dizziness and severe confusion. A quick investigation by the medical staff revealed that the severe poisoning was caused by candies containing cannabis.
Two brothers aged 3 and 5 were hospitalized in the pediatric intensive care unit at Shaare Zedek Medical Center after their condition deteriorated following the consumption of candies containing active ingredients from the cannabis plant. The two arrived at the pediatric emergency department suffering from dizziness, confusion, blurred vision, and instability while walking.
The medical and nursing staff began a comprehensive investigation to understand the cause of the unusual symptoms. During the questioning, it turned out that the children had eaten candies containing THC and CBD. Sarah Hafter, a nurse in the department, connected the brothers to monitors and ensured they received immediate medical treatment.
Dr. Muhammad Hamad, a resident physician in the pediatric department, described the amount to which the two were exposed:
"From an inquiry with the family, it turns out that each of the children ate two candies, and according to the packaging, each candy contains 20 mg of THC and 10 mg of CBD."
According to the doctors, the exposure led to significant poisoning, with the younger child's condition causing particular concern due to his body weight. "The children suffered from severe poisoning, especially the 3-year-old brother, whose weight is lower," says Dr. Amir Fisher, a senior physician in the pediatric emergency department, under the management of Dr. Giora Weiser.
After initial treatment, the brothers were transferred to the pediatric intensive care unit, managed by Dr. Jacques Braun. They remained there under medical supervision. After about a day, with no deterioration in their condition, the two were discharged home in good condition.
Dr. Fisher explained that poisonings of this type mainly affect the central nervous system:
"In most poisonings, the main symptoms are related to the central nervous system — blurred vision, unstable walking, and changes in pulse. There are other, rarer but serious phenomena — seizures, respiratory failure, and even coma. In poisonings of this type, there is no antidote, and therefore, the treatment is mostly supportive. Fortunately, the children reached us at an early stage. If they had eaten more candies, their lives would have been in danger."
In the pediatric emergency department, they noted that while teams encounter various types of poisoning from time to time, the dosage to which the two brothers were exposed is considered relatively unusual. Talia Chernosvitov, deputy head nurse, appealed to parents following the incident:
"Children are curious, and they will not necessarily know how to distinguish between an innocent candy and a toxic product. Watch over them and keep products and substances that could endanger their health away from them."
