Poisoning by poisonous plants: symptoms, diagnosis, treatment

A small number of common plants are poisonous. To the highly toxic and potentially fatal plants are common castor beans, prayer acres, poisonous hemlock, hemlock water, oleander and digitalis containing glycosides. Specific antidotes are known for a small number of plant poisons.

Moderately poisonous plants

Plant	Symptoms	Treatment
Aloe	Gastroenteritis, nephritis, skin irritation	Maintenance treatment and washing with soap and water
Azalea	Cholinergic symptoms	Supportive treatment and atropine
Cacti	Infection, formation of granuloma	Removing spines
Caladium	Damage to the oral mucosa with the remaining crystals of calcium oxalate	Supportive treatment and the binding of a poisonous substance (milk or ice cream)
Pepper	Irritation of mucous membranes and swelling	Supportive treatment, washing and, if possible, binding of a poisonous substance
Colchicine (autumn saffron, meadow saffron)	Delayed gastroenteritis, multiple organ failure	Supportive treatment and colchicine-specific fractionated antibodies *
Belladonna	Anticholinergic symptoms, hallucinations	Supportive treatment; with severe hyperthermia or convulsions, physostigmine is prescribed
Diffembachia (wordless stick)	Damage to the oral mucosa with the remaining crystals of calcium oxalate	Supportive treatment and the binding of a poisonous substance (milk or ice cream)
Fava beans (horse beans)	In patients with deficiency of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase: gastroenteritis, fever, headache, hemolytic anemia	Supportive treatment; when severe poisoning and anemia think about replacement transfusion
Green potatoes or potato sprouts	Gastroenteritis, hallucinations,	Supportive treatment
Berries of holly	Gastroenteritis	Supportive treatment
Dope stinking	Anticholinergic symptoms, hallucinations	Supportive treatment; with severe hyperthermia or convulsions-physostigmine
Lily of the meadow	Hyperkalemia, arrhythmias	See the description of digitalis preparations in the appropriate section.
Mistletoe	Gastroenteritis	Supportive treatment
Nettle	Local itching and burning	Supportive treatment
Datura is ordinary or wooden	Gastroenteritis, hallucinations,	Supportive treatment
Philodendron spp.	Damage to the oral mucosa with the remaining crystals of calcium oxalate	Supportive treatment and the binding of a poisonous substance (milk or ice cream)
Euphorbia beautiful	Minor irritation of mucous membranes	Not necessary
Poison ivy	Dermatitis	See Chap. 114
Phytolacca American	Irritation of mucous membranes, gastroenteritis	Supportive treatment
Epipramnum	Damage to the oral mucosa with the remaining crystals of calcium oxalate	Supportive treatment and the binding of a poisonous substance (milk or ice cream)
Yew	Gastroenteritis; rarely - arrhythmias, convulsions, coma	Supportive treatment

* Outside of France is not available.

Kleshchevina contains ricin, highly concentrated poison in a relatively impermeable shell. To release ricin and poisoning it is necessary to chew the seeds of the plant. Abrus prayer also contains concentrated cellular poison, which can lead to death by swallowing seeds, for children - even one seed. Symptoms of poisoning include gastroenteritis, which develops after a latent period, often severe and hemorrhagic, with delirium, convulsions, coma and death. In order to remove all the eaten fruits, it may be recommended to wash the intestines.

Oleander, digitalis and other similar, but less toxic lily can cause gastroenteritis, frustration, hyperkalemia and arrhythmias. Evaluation of the concentration of digoxin in the blood plasma can confirm the fact of poisoning, but quantitative analysis is impossible. Careful monitoring of K ⁺ blood concentration is required . Hyperkalemia may require hemodialysis because of resistance to other treatments. Calcium preparations are not recommended for the treatment of arrhythmias. Fragments of digoxin-specific fractionated antibodies can be used to treat ventricular arrhythmias.

When poisoning hemlock, symptoms develop within 15 minutes. Hemorrhagic poisonous causes activation of H-cholinergic receptors in the body, causing dry mouth, tachycardia, tremor, excessive sweating, mydriasis, convulsions, muscle paresis. There may be bradycardia and rhabdomyolysis. Acidic boli increases the activity of y-aminobutyric acid, symptoms - gastroenteritis, delirium, refractory convulsions, coma.

[1], [2], [3]