title: Digitalis must be banished from the table: a rare case of acute accidental Digitalis intoxication of a whole family.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Emergency, SS Trinità Borgomanero Hospital, ASL No-Novara, Novara, Italy. stemaffe@libero.it
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maffè
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cucchi
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zenone
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bertoncelli
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Beldì
authors.forename: Maria Laura
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Colombo
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bielli
authors.forename: Anna Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Paino
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Parravicini
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Paffoni
authors.forename: Pierfranco
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dellavesa
authors.forename: Antonello
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Perucca
authors.forename: Nicolò Franchetti
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Pardo
authors.forename: Fabiana
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Signorotti
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Didino
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zanetta
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000931:Antidotes; D002301:Cardiac Glycosides; D007140:Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments; C050199:digoxin antibodies Fab fragments; D002606:Charcoal