Low-dose exposure to Veratrum album in children causes mild effects--a case series.
BACKGROUND
White or false hellebore (Veratrum album) has a toxicological relevance because of the potential for misidentification of this plant as yellow gentian (Gentiana lutea).


METHODS
We report a retrospective case series of 11 children (8-12 years) with accidental intake of V. album at a youth camp where they had collected herbs for preparing fresh herb tea. Two children (18%) remained asymptomatic. Nine (82%) developed mild gastrointestinal symptoms, six (55%) presented neurological symptoms, and three (27%) showed bradycardia. All children recovered completely within 10 h of ingestion. The plant was identified at the emergency department; however, detection of veratridine and cevadine by means of high-performance liquid chromatography-Mass spectrometry from the blood of the child with the most severe symptoms was negative (limit 0.01 ng/mL).


CONCLUSIONS
Veratrum species contain more than 200 different alkaloids, which are the principal toxins and are responsible for most clinical symptoms. There are likely multiple mechanisms of toxicity and some of them are only partially understood. The opening of voltage-gated sodium channels is probably one of the most relevant pathophysiological mechanisms.


CONCLUSIONS
Veratrum album intoxication in children demonstrated the same clinical course as observed in adults. Accidental ingestion of a low dose of the plant had a favorable outcome with supportive care.
Rauber-Lüthy
Christine
C
Swiss Toxicological Information Centre, Zurich, Switzerland.
Halbsguth
Ulrike
U
Kupferschmidt
Hugo
H
König
Naoko
N
Mégevand
Chloé
C
Zihlmann
Karin
K
Ceschi
Alessandro
A
D001919:Bradycardia / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D010939:Plant Poisoning / Q000209:etiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013662:Tea / Q000737:chemistry; D014703:Veratrum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000506:poisoning*; D014704:Veratrum Alkaloids / Q000506:poisoning*
D015222:Sodium Channels; D013662:Tea; D014704:Veratrum Alkaloids