title: Low-dose exposure to Veratrum album in children causes mild effects--a case series.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Swiss Toxicological Information Centre, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rauber-Lüthy
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Halbsguth
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kupferschmidt
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: König
authors.forename: Chloé
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mégevand
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zihlmann
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ceschi
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D015222:Sodium Channels; D013662:Tea; D014704:Veratrum Alkaloids