A case of Kombucha tea toxicity.
BACKGROUND
Kombucha "mushroom'' tea is touted to have medicinal properties. Here, we present a case of hyperthermia, lactic acidosis, and acute renal failure within 15 hours of Kombucha tea ingestion.


METHODS
A 22 year old male, newly diagnosed with HIV, became short of breath and febrile to 103.0F, within twelve hours of Kombucha tea ingestion. He subsequently became combative and confused, requiring sedation and intubation for airway control. Laboratories revealed a lactate of 12.9 mmol/L, and serum creatinine of 2.1 mg/dL.


CONCLUSIONS
Kombucha tea is black tea fermented in a yeast-bacteria medium. Several case reports exist of serious, and sometimes fatal, hepatic dysfunction and lactic acidosis within close proximity to ingestion.


CONCLUSIONS
While Kombucha tea is considered a healthy elixir, the limited evidence currently available raises considerable concern that it may pose serious health risks. Consumption of this tea should be discouraged, as it may be associated with life-threatening lactic acidosis.
SungHee Kole
Alison
A
Division of Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pharmacy Services, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA. alison.kole@cshs.org
Jones
Heather D
HD
Christensen
Russell
R
Gladstein
Jay
J
D000140:Acidosis, Lactic / Q000139:chemically induced*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013662:Tea / Q000633:toxicity*; D055815:Young Adult
D013662:Tea