[Bradycardiac atrial fibrillation after consuming herbal tea].
METHODS
One day after drinking what she thought to be a tea made from borage leaves a 72-year-old woman developed nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, later also flickering in her eyes and palpitations. She was in a good general state with a blood pressure of 120/75 mm Hg and an irregular heart rate of 52/min. Physical examination was otherwise unremarkable. She had not been on any medication.


METHODS
The usual laboratory tests were normal. The electrocardiogram showed atrial fibrillation with a slow ventricular rate with pauses of up to 1.5s. intermittently type I and II 2 degrees AV block, and depressed concave ST segments. The level of digoxin was 3.93 ng/ml, that of digitoxin 133.5 ng/ml.


METHODS
The patient's symptoms quickly improved under symptomatic treatment. Further questioning suggested that she had probably mistaken foxglove leaves for those of borage when picking them to make a brew.


CONCLUSIONS
If cardiac arrhythmias have occurred after intake of self-picked herbal leaves one should consider digitalis intoxication resulting from misidentification.
Brustbauer
R
R
2. Medizinische Abteilung, Allgemeines Krankenhaus St. Pölten.
Wenisch
C
C
D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D001919:Bradycardia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D004070:Digitalis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010939:Plant Poisoning / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D010947:Plants, Toxic; D013662:Tea / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014839:Vomiting / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology
D013662:Tea