In a freak medical accident, a 27-year-old woman from Russia, Ekaterina Fedyaeva died after being pumped with formalin, a chemical meant for preserving corpses. Originally brought in for a case of ovarian cysts, Ekaterina was scheduled for a routine laparoscopic procedure on March 15th at the Central Clinical Medical and Sanitary Unit in Russia’s Ulyanovsk region. The nurse assigned to her room filled her IV drip with a formalin solution, which contains formaldehyde.

Almost immediately, Ekaterina body temperature shot up and she started experiencing severe abdominal pains. The team discovered the blunder and started pulling up all stops to save the young woman from being mummified alive, but it was too late. Her mother who happened to witness the ordeal saw her daughter convulsing after the chemical started coursing through her body. She said that for 14 hours, Ekaterina was suffering with the formalin still inside her body. She even whispered to her mother-in-law that she was dying, according to a report in RT.

After she became comatose, her organs began to fail and doctors had to connect her to machines to keep her alive. Rashid Adulov, the minister of health, family and social welfare for the Ulyanovsk District stated that the doctors at the hospital had done everything to keep her alive.

What is Formalin or Formaldehyde?

Formalin is a toxic, colourless solution of formaldehyde, used for primarily preserving dead bodies. On being injected into the corpse, the chemical wards off bacteria and alters cellular proteins so that the pathogens cannot decompose the body. In case of ingestion, formaldehyde or formalin causes severe abdominal pain due to the damage to the stomach and the intestines. Eventually, the circulatory system breaks down and the kidneys collapse.

The solution formalin is used for a variety of medical purposes, including as a drying agent for warts, as an anti-haemorrhagic and as a disinfectant, which explains its presence in a hospital.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 11, 2018 03:58 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).