Expert warning on 'yellow serum': Breathing can stop suddenly

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Erdal Demirtaş, Administrative Chief of the Emergency Medicine Clinic at Ankara Training and Research Hospital, stated that the IV drips known as "yellow serum" and "atom" contain many active ingredients.

Noting that there have been many posts on social media recently regarding the use of these serums, Demirtaş said, "These cause anaphylactic shock. Anaphylactic shock is a distributive shock that occurs as a result of the body reacting to any agent within the yellow serum, regardless of the dosage—meaning it can happen even in very small doses. As a result, the patient can enter respiratory arrest within seconds and lose their life. Unfortunately, we have seen a few examples of this."

Stating that the yellow serum is used as a "doping" agent among the public, Demirtaş explained that different users add antibiotics, painkillers, and B-group vitamins to the serum, whereas in hospitals, it is administered for treatment purposes only within clinical indications and without mixing so many substances.

'I DEFINITELY DO NOT RECOMMEND IT'

Pointing to the danger that reactions occurring during yellow serum applications performed outside of a hospital cannot be properly managed, Demirtaş drew attention to the fact that individuals administering serums in home settings lack adequate equipment.

Stating that patients request these serums with the expectation that they will "recover faster," Demirtaş said, "If you want to play Russian roulette at home, you can have these types of drugs administered to yourself at home. However, the harms are immense. Having such a procedure done at home is like gambling with our lives."

Explaining that he also gets sick and continues to use his medication in a normal way despite having every facility at his disposal, Demirtaş drew attention to the danger of having yellow serum treatment administered with the mindset of "I want to get better in one day."

Emphasizing the importance of having treatments administered in a hospital, Demirtaş said, "All hospitals under our Ministry offer every kind of facility to our citizens. They can receive all kinds of treatment. I definitely do not recommend having these types of treatments done at home outside of a hospital environment."