| An outbreak of foxglove leaf poisoning. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 20171590 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) leaves resemble those of foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) when the plant is not in bloom and, therefore, cardiac glycoside poisoning may occur when people confuse foxglove with comfrey. We report an outbreak of foxglove leaf poisoning following the use of alleged "comfrey" herbal tea. Nine patients were involved and initially presented with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and dizziness. Significant cardiotoxicity developed later among the 3 patients who also had mild hyperkalemia. Peak serum digoxin concentration measured by immunoassay was elevated in all patients and ranged from 4.4 ng/mL to 139.5 ng/mL. Patients with severe cardiotoxicity were treated with temporary cardiac pacing. Moreover, 40-80 mg of digoxin-specific antibody therapy was given without any effect. All patients recovered uneventfully. Our report highlights the potential risk of misidentification of herbs; in this case, D. purpurea was mistaken for S. officinale. Physicians should be aware that cardiac glycoside poisoning could arise from such misidentification. Public education about the toxicity of D. purpurea poisoning may reduce the risk of misidentification and subsequent poisoning. |
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Authors:
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Chun-Chi Lin; Chen-Chang Yang; Dong-Haur Phua; Jou-Fang Deng; Li-Hua Lu |
Publication Detail:
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Type: Case Reports; Journal Article |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA Volume: 73 ISSN: 1728-7731 ISO Abbreviation: J Chin Med Assoc Publication Date: 2010 Feb |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2010-02-22 Completed Date: 2010-05-11 Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 101174817 Medline TA: J Chin Med Assoc Country: China (Republic : 1949- ) |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 97-100 Citation Subset: IM |
Copyright Information:
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Copyright 2010 Elsevier. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. |
Affiliation:
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Department of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, I-Lan, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC. |
Export Citation:
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| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Antibodies
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therapeutic use Digitalis / poisoning* Digoxin / immunology Disease Outbreaks* Female Humans Middle Aged Plant Poisoning / epidemiology*, therapy Potassium / blood |
| Chemical | |
Reg. No./Substance:
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0/Antibodies; 20830-75-5/Digoxin; 7440-09-7/Potassium |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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