Digitalis must be banished from the table: a rare case of acute accidental Digitalis intoxication of a whole family.
Advanced Digitalis intoxication is a rare event, mainly associated with overdose in patients with Digitalis therapy. We report an unusual case of acute 'familiar' digitalis poisoning in three patients who had eaten potato dumplings flavoured with leaves of Borago officinalis L. unconsciously mixed with leaves of Digitalis purpurea L. A complicated clinical course with marked bradyarrhythmias was presented, with good evolution thanks to the use of digoxin-specific antibody Fab fragments. The theme of the domestic use of plants with medicinal effects has been treated and discussed.
Maffè
Stefano
S
Division of Cardiology, Department of Emergency, SS Trinità Borgomanero Hospital, ASL No-Novara, Novara, Italy. stemaffe@libero.it
Cucchi
Lorenzo
L
Zenone
Franco
F
Bertoncelli
Cristina
C
Beldì
Federico
F
Colombo
Maria Laura
ML
Bielli
Massimo
M
Paino
Anna Maria
AM
Parravicini
Umberto
U
Paffoni
Paola
P
Dellavesa
Pierfranco
P
Perucca
Antonello
A
Pardo
Nicolò Franchetti
NF
Signorotti
Fabiana
F
Didino
Claudio
C
Zanetta
Marco
M
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000931:Antidotes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001919:Bradycardia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D002301:Cardiac Glycosides / Q000276:immunology / Q000506:poisoning*; D002606:Charcoal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004070:Digitalis; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007140:Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018515:Plant Leaves; D011041:Poisoning / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy
D000931:Antidotes; D002301:Cardiac Glycosides; D007140:Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments; C050199:digoxin antibodies Fab fragments; D002606:Charcoal