1/9. Fatal 'Bhang' poisoning.A young adult male of about 25 years of age consumed a glass (about 300 ml) of Bhang on the holy occasion of ShivRatri. The deceased died within 24 hours of consuming the Bhang. The deceased had suffered from rheumatic heart disease with multiple valvular involvements. He had also undergone open-heart surgery in the past. Fatality due to Bhang is extremely rare and therefore the case is presented. An attempt is made to review the literature. Bhang is one of the Indian preparations of Indian hemp (cannabis sativa). It is prepared by the wet grinding of the leaves of the plant. The bolus is then consumed in various ways. water is used as a vehicle. In the present case a bolus of about 1 to 2 gm was mixed in a glass of water. ShivRatri is a Hindu festival. On this day prayers are offered to Lord Shiva, who is the god of all evils and poisons. Bhang is a special article, which is offered to Lord Shiva on this auspicious day. Then, the devotees consume it as the God. Gujrat is a dry state (possession, consumption, sale, etc. of alcohol, Bhang, opium and other psychotropic substance, etc. is governed by particular laws), but on the holy occasion of ShivRati, for a day, the law is relaxed for the use of Bhang. In most other parts of the country, particularly, in northern india, it is a common practice to consume various preparations of Indian hemp like Bhang, Charas, Ganja, sweetmeat, etc. The bolus mentioned above is probably the minimum single dose.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = water (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/9. Acute poisoning with autumn crocus (colchicum autumnale L.).INTRODUCTION: colchicum autumnale, commonly known as the autumn crocus or meadow saffron, contains the antimitotic colchicine, which binds to tubulin and prevents it forming microtubules that are part of the cytoskeleton in all cells. CASE REPORT: A 71-year-old woman ate a plant she thought to be wild garlic (allium ursinum). Ten hours later she arrived at the emergency department complaining of nausea, vomiting and watery diarrhea. Ingestion of a poisonous plant was suspected and she was treated with gastric lavage, oral activated charcoal and an infusion of normal saline. toxicology analysis with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry revealed colchicine in the patient's gastric lavage, blood (5 microg/l) and urine (30 microg/l). She developed arrhythmias, liver failure, pancreatitis, ileus, and bone marrow suppression with pancytopenia. alopecia began in the third week. Treatment was supportive only. Five months later she had no clinical or laboratory signs of poisoning. DISCUSSION: The patient mistakenly ingested autumn crocus instead of wild garlic because of their great similarity. colchicine primarily blocks mitosis in tissues with rapid cell turnover; this results in gastroenterocolitis in the first phase of colchicine poisoning, bone marrow hypoplasia with pancytopenia in the second and alopecia in the third, all of which were present in our patient. colchicine toxicity in tissues without rapid cell turnover caused arrhythmias, acute liver failure and pancreatitis. CONCLUSION: colchicine poisoning can result in gastroenterocolitis followed by multi-organ dysfunction syndrome. In unexplained gastroenterocolitis after ingestion of wild plants as a salad or spice, especially when wild garlic is mentioned, we should always consider autumn crocus. diagnosis could be confirmed only by toxicology analyses. Management of colchicine poisoning is restricted to supportive therapy.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = water (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/9. hemlock water dropwort poisoning.Severe plant poisoning is relatively uncommon in adults. We report two adults who ingested hemlock water dropwort roots, having mistaken them for wild parsnip. One developed prolonged convulsions, severe metabolic acidosis and respiratory distress requiring mechanical ventilation. The toxin--oenanthotoxin--was detected in the gastric aspirate and measured by high performance liquid chromatography.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 5keywords = water (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/9. Oleandrin distribution in a fatality from rectal and oral nerium oleander extract administration.In a fatal (cardiotoxic) case of oleander extract poisoning of a young female, ethanol extracts of blood and tissue homogenates were purified by lead acetate. After removal of excess lead by ammonium sulfate, oleandrin was extracted into chloroform. Oleandrin in the extract concentrates was detected by thin-layer chromatography, with location by fluorescence and chromogenically by means of p-anisaldehyde. Quantitation was performed on dried extracts reconstituted in water/methanol, reacted with hydrogen peroxide, ascorbic acid, and hydrochloric acid, and analyzed by fluorescence spectrophotometry. Excitation was at 355 nm, and fluorescence scanning from 340 to 580 nm. The fluorescence peak at 460 nm was used for the quantitative measurement. The concentrations of oleandrin measured in blood, stomach wall, colon tissue, liver, heart, lung, brain, spleen, and kidney ranged from 10 to 39 micrograms/g, with 200 micrograms/mL in the total gastric content residue submitted for analysis.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = water (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/9. Identification of oenanthotoxin and related compounds in hemlock water dropwort poisoning.The case histories are presented of three separate incidents of poisoning by ingestion of hemlock water Dropwort tubers (oenanthe crocata). Two of these cases involved a fatality. An analytical profile is provided for oenanthotoxin, the major toxic principal of the tubers. Chromatographic, spectroscopic and mass spectral data for related compounds are also given.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 4keywords = water (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/9. datura poisoning--the Angel's Trumpet.A group of seven ate flowers of datura arborea ("The Angel's Trumpet" or "Trumpet Lilies") and suffered severe hallucinations. One member of the group drowned in shallow water while suffering from these effects. Although poisoning with related species is common, poisoning with this plant is rare, perhaps due to its terrifying rather than pleasurable hallucinogenic effect.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = water (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/9. A case of water hemlock poisoning.water hemlock is a ubiquitous plant that can be mistaken for a turnip as in the case reported. Oral ingestion causes an explosive illness consisting of nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and grand mal seizures that can progress to cyanosis and death. In the reported case a 30-year old man was found semi-comatose some 75 minutes after ingesting a "turnip". The history revealed profuse emesis shortly after eating lunch that changed from bile to frank blood. There was a mean orthostatic blood pressure change of 30 torr, with an increase in the heart rate of 10%. neurologic examination revealed a lethargic patient. Following administration of 4 liters of Ringer's lactate the patient's blood pressure stabilized and with continued isotonic fluid maintenance he improved rapidly. This case indicates that appropriate management should be directed toward protecting the patient's airway from gastric aspiration, restoring the intravascular and extracellular volume deficit, and controlling cerebral edema.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 4keywords = water (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/9. New aspects in the treatment of water hemlock poisoning.A man inadvertently ate a whole root of the highly poisonous water hemlock (cicuta virosa L.) plant. The chief symptoms were convulsions, unconsciousness, reddish tinted cyanosis, dilated pupils and marked metabolic acidosis. The patient survived due to treatment with haemodialysis, haemoperfusion, forced diuresis and artificial ventilation. The cicutoxin molecule size was calculated and it was found to be dialysable.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 5keywords = water (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/9. hemlock water dropwort poisoning--a review.hemlock water dropwort (oenanthe crocata) is probably the most poisonous plant in the British Isles. The roots are the most toxic part of the plant and have been eaten in mistake for the roots of several other plant species with often fatal results. A recent nonfatal case of poisoning is reported and previous cases reviewed. Present evidence suggests that barbiturates, particularly short-acting agents are life saving and are the drugs of choice in the treatment of the convulsions.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 5keywords = water (Clic here for more details about this article) |