Detection of poisoning by Impila (Callilepis laureola) in a mother and child.
Poisoning with impila (Callilepis laureola) is a recurring phenomenon in South Africa. Cases of poisoning with other plants which contain atractyloside also occur in Europe and the Americas. Since poisoning leads to rapid death from renal and/or hepatic failure, it is suspected that many cases are undiagnosed; this is especially so in South Africa, where patients may die without reaching hospital and do not often admit to ingestion of a traditional remedy. We have developed a thin layer chromatographic method for the detection of impila constituents in urine. We describe the clinical symptoms and the application of the screening method to diagnosis in the case of a mother and child, who both showed symptoms of impila poisoning; the mother died but the child survived. This method is rapid and may be used for the definitive diagnosis in cases of poisoning with atractyloside-containing plants.
Steenkamp
V
V
Toxicology unit, Department of Chemical Pathology, South African Institute for Medical Research, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown, Gauteng, South Africa.
Stewart
M J
MJ
Zuckerman
M
M
D000328:Adult; D001278:Atractyloside / Q000506:poisoning* / Q000652:urine; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000506:poisoning* / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D017114:Liver Failure, Acute / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000506:poisoning*; D051437:Renal Insufficiency / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology
D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D001278:Atractyloside