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Journal of Toxicology. Clinical... 2003Plant poisoning is normally a problem of young children who unintentionally ingest small quantities of toxic plants with little resulting morbidity and few deaths. In... (Review)
Review
Plant poisoning is normally a problem of young children who unintentionally ingest small quantities of toxic plants with little resulting morbidity and few deaths. In some regions of the world, however, plant poisonings are important clinical problems causing much morbidity and mortality. While deaths do occur after unintentional poisoning with plants such as Atractylis gummifera (bird-lime or blue thistle) and Blighia sapida (ackee tree), the majority of deaths globally occur following intentional self-poisoning with plants such as Thevetia peruviana (yellow oleander) and Cerbera manghas (pink-eyed cerbera or sea mango). Antitoxins developed against colchicine and cardiac glycosides would be useful for plant poisonings--anti-digoxin Fab fragments have been shown to be highly effective in T. peruviana poisoning. Unfortunately, their great cost limits their use in the developing world where they would make a major difference in patient management. Therapy for some other plant poisonings might also benefit from the development of antitoxins. However, until issues of cost and supply are worked out, plant antitoxins are going to remain a dream in many of the areas where they are now urgently required.
Topics: Acute Disease; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Antitoxins; Humans; Plant Poisoning; Plants, Toxic
PubMed: 12807314
DOI: 10.1081/clt-120021116 -
The British Journal of Ophthalmology May 1993The Manchineel tree is an evergreen widely distributed in tropical regions. The toxic nature of Manchineel has been known since the early sixteenth century. Contact with...
The Manchineel tree is an evergreen widely distributed in tropical regions. The toxic nature of Manchineel has been known since the early sixteenth century. Contact with its milky sap (latex) produces bullous dermatitis and acute keratoconjunctivitis. We identified 19 patients who had ocular injuries caused by Manchineel between 1985 and 1990 and were able to review 12. All of these patients had been treated by lavage, cycloplegia, and topical antibiotics. Of 20 episodes of exposure 14 affected both eyes. The cornea was damaged in 16 episodes, the extent varying from large corneal epithelial defects to superficial punctate keratitis. The epithelial changes had resolved in a mean period of 3.75 days (range 1 to 14 days). Two episodes caused stromal infiltration to appear and in one of these a stromal opacity remained 5 years later. The final visual acuity was 6/9 or better in all eyes except in one patient who had visual impairment because of glaucoma. Our results suggest that despite the severity of the acute reaction, the long term visual prognosis is excellent in Manchineel keratoconjunctivitis. The historical and toxicological literature on Manchineel is reviewed.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Child, Preschool; Eye; Female; Humans; Keratoconjunctivitis; Male; Middle Aged; Plant Extracts; Plant Poisoning; Plants, Toxic; Visual Acuity
PubMed: 8318464
DOI: 10.1136/bjo.77.5.284 -
The Medical Journal of Malaysia Dec 2018Datura plants contain anticholinergic properties. Consumers may present with a spectrum of anticholinergic symptoms, including hallucination, agitation, tachycardia,...
Datura plants contain anticholinergic properties. Consumers may present with a spectrum of anticholinergic symptoms, including hallucination, agitation, tachycardia, delirium, hyperthermia, and dilated pupils. Prompt identification of the symptoms with appropriate treatment can be life-saving. Some patients might not be able to provide history and therefore recognition of toxidromes is imperative. Awareness should be built among the public who may be exposed to such fruits or plants.
Topics: Adult; Cholinesterase Inhibitors; Datura; Female; Fruit; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Physostigmine; Plant Poisoning
PubMed: 30647232
DOI: No ID Found -
Frontiers in Veterinary Science 2023The United States National Cancer Institute defines a biomarker as: "A biological molecule found in blood, other body fluids, or tissues that is a sign of a normal or... (Review)
Review
The United States National Cancer Institute defines a biomarker as: "A biological molecule found in blood, other body fluids, or tissues that is a sign of a normal or abnormal process, or of a condition or disease." In Veterinary Medicine, biomarkers associated with plant poisonings of livestock have great utility. Since grazing livestock poisoned by toxic plants are often found dead, biomarkers of plant poisoning allow for a more rapid postmortem diagnosis and response to prevent further deaths. The presence and concentration of toxins in poisonous plants are biomarkers of risk for livestock poisoning that can be measured by the chemical analysis of plant material. More difficult is, the detection of plant toxins or biomarkers in biological samples from intoxicated or deceased animals. The purpose of this article is to review potential biomarkers of plant poisoning in grazing livestock in the Western North America including recently investigated non-invasive sampling techniques. Plants discussed include larkspur, lupine, water hemlock, swainsonine-containing plants, selenium-containing plants, and pyrrolizidine alkaloid containing plants. Other factors such as animal age and sex that affect plant biomarker concentrations are also discussed.
PubMed: 36908517
DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1104702 -
Acta Medica Portuguesa 2000Favism is an acute hemolytic syndrome occurring in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficient individuals after the consumption of fava beans. The authors report...
Favism is an acute hemolytic syndrome occurring in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficient individuals after the consumption of fava beans. The authors report the clinical case of a 16 year-old boy admitted to hospital with an acute hemolytic episode after the ingestion of fava beans. Complementary studies revealed G6PD deficiency. A study of the family and a short review about favism is presented.
Topics: Abdominal Pain; Adolescent; Favism; Humans; Male
PubMed: 11155491
DOI: No ID Found -
Clinical Toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.) Aug 2011Human contact with potentially toxic plants, which may occur through abuse or by accident or attempted suicide, is frequent and sometimes results in clinically...
INTRODUCTION
Human contact with potentially toxic plants, which may occur through abuse or by accident or attempted suicide, is frequent and sometimes results in clinically significant toxicity.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study was to identify which plants may lead to severe poisoning, and to define the clinical relevance of plant toxicity for humans in Switzerland.
METHODS
We analyzed 42,193 cases of human plant exposure and 255 acute moderate, severe, and lethal poisonings, which were reported to the Swiss Toxicological Information Centre between January 1995 and December 2009.
RESULTS
Plant contact was rarely responsible for serious poisonings. Lethal intoxications were extremely rare and were caused by plants with cardiotoxic (Taxus baccata) or mitosis-inhibiting (Colchicum autumnale) properties.
CONCLUSIONS
Most often, plant contact was accidental and patients remained asymptomatic or developed mild symptoms, which fully resolved within a short time.
Topics: Accidents; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Child; Child, Preschool; Drug Overdose; Female; Humans; Infant; Male; Middle Aged; Plant Poisoning; Plants, Toxic; Poison Control Centers; Prognosis; Retrospective Studies; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Severity of Illness Index; Suicide, Attempted; Switzerland; Time Factors; Young Adult
PubMed: 21809910
DOI: 10.3109/15563650.2011.597034 -
British Medical Journal Jan 1965
Topics: Dermatitis; Dermatitis, Contact; Diagnosis; Plant Poisoning; Primula; Skin Tests; Toxicology
PubMed: 14228154
DOI: 10.1136/bmj.1.5429.220 -
International Journal of Pediatrics 2017Plant poisoning is a common presentation in paediatric practice and an important cause of preventable mortality and morbidity in Sri Lanka. The burden of plant poisoning...
Plant poisoning is a common presentation in paediatric practice and an important cause of preventable mortality and morbidity in Sri Lanka. The burden of plant poisoning is largely underexplored. The current multicenter study based in rural Sri Lanka assessed clinical profiles, poison related factors, clinical management, complications, outcomes, and risk factors associated with plant poisoning in the paediatric age group. Among 325 children, 57% were male with 64% being below five years of age. 99.4% had ingested the poison. Transfer rate was 66.4%. Most had unintentional poisoning. Commonest poison plant was and poisoning event happened mostly in home garden. 29% of parents practiced harmful first-aid practices. 32% of children had delayed presentations to which the commonest reason was lack of parental concern regarding urgency of seeking medical care. Presence of poisonous plants in home garden was the strongest risk factor for plant poisoning. Mortality rate was 1.2% and all cases had Oleander poisoning. The study revealed the value of community awareness regarding risk factors and awareness among healthcare workers regarding the mostly benign nature of plant poisoning in children in view of limiting incidence of plant poisoning and reducing expenditure on patient management.
PubMed: 28377789
DOI: 10.1155/2017/6187487 -
British Medical Journal (Clinical... Nov 1981
Topics: Child; Child, Preschool; Cytosine; Humans; Plant Poisoning; Prognosis
PubMed: 6797517
DOI: 10.1136/bmj.283.6301.1220-a -
American Family Physician Oct 1999
Topics: Bradycardia; Complementary Therapies; Diagnosis, Differential; Family Practice; Humans; Phytotherapy; Plant Poisoning; Plants, Medicinal
PubMed: 10537381
DOI: No ID Found