The 22-year-old man rapidly downed a 1.5-litre bottle of Coke to stay hydrated during the hot weather, the Daily Mail reported.

Six hours later, he started experiencing a swollen stomach and severe pain, which prompted him to report to Chaoyang Hospital in Beijing.

After tests were conducted, it was revealed that the patient, without any known underlying health issues, had an elevated heart rate, low blood pressure and rapid breathing. Doctors also conducted a CT scan, which revealed that the soda drinker had aberrant levels in his intestinal wall and portal vein that provides blood to the liver.

This, in turn, had reportedly caused him to suffer a hepatic ischemia, otherwise known as “shock liver,” which is caused by a lack of oxygen to the organ, per the report.

At that point, the medical staff tried to save the patient by releasing the gas from his digestive system. They also administered medication to help safeguard his liver and other body parts from further damage, the Daily Mail reported.

Despite doctors efforts, the man’s condition continued to worsen until he passed away 18 hours after treatment.

However, some medical experts believed it highly improbable that the man died from a Coca-Cola overdose.

“The chances of downing 1.5 litres, or a little over three pints, of a regular soft drink being fatal would be very, very unlikely, I mean, staggeringly unlikely,” Professor Nathan Davies, a biochemist at University College London, told MailOnline.