Ingestion of Lantana camara is not associated with significant effects in children.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to identify characteristics of children with reported ingestion of Lantana camara.


METHODS
We reviewed the California Poison Control System database for all reported pediatric ingestions of L. camara for the years 1997-2008. Data collected included age, gender, clinical effects, duration of effects, medical interventions, and outcomes.


RESULTS
There were a total of 641 patients; patient ages ranged from 1 to 16 years, with a mean of 2.5 years. Reported effects included vomiting (n = 30), abdominal pain (n = 8), agitation (n = 6), diarrhea (n = 6), throat/mouth irritation (n = 5), tachycardia (n = 4), drowsiness (n = 3), nausea (n = 2), and mydriasis (n = 1). There was no difference in frequency of symptoms between patients who ingested ripe (15.5% [95% confidence interval: 9.1%-21.8%]) versus unripe (6.0% [95% confidence interval: 0.9%-11.1%]) berries or between patients who ingested berries (10.5% [95% confidence interval: 7.3%-13.8%]) versus other plant parts (7.1% [95% confidence interval: 4.0%-10.3%]). Fifty-one patients (8%) were treated in a health care facility and 2 (0.3%) were admitted. No significant effects and no deaths were recorded.


CONCLUSIONS
Ingestion of L. camara (including unripe berries) was not associated with significant toxicity; patients who ingested unripe berries did not exhibit more-frequent or more-severe symptoms than did patients who ingested ripe berries or other plant parts. Most patients displayed no or minimal symptoms. Children with asymptomatic ingestions and those with mild symptoms can be treated at home.
Division of Medical Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, California 92103, USA. shaunc@yahoo.com
Shaun D
SD
Carstairs
Joyce Y
JY
Luk
Christian A
CA
Tomaszewski
F Lee
FL
Cantrell
D000293:Adolescent; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003679:Deglutition; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D032410:Lantana / Q000506:poisoning*; D008297:Male; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000506:poisoning; D010939:Plant Poisoning / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies