title: Cleistanthus collinus poisoning: case reports and review of the literature.
abstract: We report the cases of two previously healthy young patients who ingested the liquid extracted from the crushed leaves of Cleistanthus collinus (Family: Euphorbiaceae) in an attempt to commit suicide. Both patients developed life threatening complications such as hypokalemia, hypotension, cardiac arrhythmias, neuromuscular weakness, respiratory failure, and renal failure following a transient quiescent period of up to 4 days. Other significant findings noted include leucocytosis, coagulopathy, elevated liver enzymes, hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis, and an alkaline urinary pH. Both patients received supportive care as no specific antidote was available, and ultimately died. We have reviewed the published literature on C. collinus poisoning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, St. John's Medical College Hospital, Bangalore, India. drshashiraj@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Shashiraj
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eswarappa
authors.forename: Amiya Ranjan
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Chakraborty
authors.forename: Babu Urumese
authors.initials: BU
authors.lastname: Palatty
authors.forename: Mabel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vasnaik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006027:Glycosides / Q000506:poisoning*; D006801:Humans; D017705:Lignans / Q000506:poisoning*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000506:poisoning*; D013405:Suicide
chemical_list: D006027:Glycosides; D017705:Lignans; D010936:Plant Extracts; C010088:cleistanthin