title: Backyard mushroom ingestions: no gastrointestinal decontamination--no effect.
abstract: Treating the unintentional "backyard" mushroom ingestion continues to be controversial. A review of pediatric "backyard" mushroom ingestions was conducted. A Regional Poison Information Center (RPIC) conducted a retrospective review of all mushroom ingestions in children younger than 6 years of age. Data were extracted from the RPIC electronic record system for the years 2000-2003. All exposures that involved "backyard" mushroom ingestions with no gastrointestinal decontamination were included. There were 322 mushroom exposures in children younger than 6 years of age reviewed. The mean age reported was 2.1 years (SD +/- 1.18). All exposures with a definitive outcome had a 24-h follow-up post-exposure to make this determination. There was no effect in 256 cases (79.5%); minor effect in 6 (1.9%); judged as nontoxic, expect no effect in 20 (6.2%); minimal clinical effects possible in 31 (9.6%); and unrelated effect in 9 (2.8%). It was concluded that "backyard" mushrooms do not present a toxicity hazard in unintentional pediatric exposures and require no gastrointestinal decontamination.
authors.affiliation: Pittsburgh Poison Center, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mrvos
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Swanson-Biearman
authors.forename: Edward P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Krenzelok
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009145:Mushroom Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology