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Russian woman dies after being embalmed alive in hospital mix-up

Medics gave her a formalin drip instead of saline
Russian woman dies after being embalmed alive in hospital mix-up
Posted at 2:51 PM, Apr 09, 2018
and last updated 2018-04-09 15:51:17-04

A criminal investigation is underway in Russia after a woman died allegedly due to medics putting her on a formalin drip instead of saline. The formalin solution contains formaldehyde, which is used to keep corpses from decomposing. 

The Sun reports that 27-year-old Ekaterina Fedyaeva was in the hospital for a routine surgery when she was injected with the formalin. After going into a coma in her hometown of Ulyanovsk, Russia, she was rushed to Moscow in an attempt to save her life. She died there two days later. 

According to a report in Metro, her mother, Galina Baryshnikova, accused the physicians involved of murder. “[It] was simply eroding her body from inside,” she said.

Medical professionals have not come forward with full details yet. A female doctor told The Sun, "A medical mistake took place."

While formaldehyde is a naturally occurring compound, exposure is extremely dangerous due to its high levels of toxicity.