title: Toxic levels of glycosides in herbal medication: a potential cause of hyperkalaemia.
abstract: We report a previously healthy man presenting with life-threatening hyperkalaemia and heart failure. The only possible cause was thought to be the long list of herbal medications he was taking, several of which contained significant amounts of cardiac glycosides. Hyperkalaemia is known to be associated with digoxin toxicity and we present this as the likely cause in this case, and emphasize the importance of a thorough drug history in forming a differential diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Foundation Year 2, Inverclyde Royal Hospital, Greenock, Renfrewshire PA16 0XN, Scotland, UK. mark.haden@doctors.org.uk
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haden
authors.forename: D A S
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Murphy
mesh_terms: D002301:Cardiac Glycosides / Q000633:toxicity*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D006947:Hyperkalemia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D002301:Cardiac Glycosides