Generally, poisoning is unlikely unless a plant is highly toxic or large quantities are ingested (for example, if the leaves or other components are concentrated into a paste or brewed into a tea).
Highly toxic and potentially fatal plants include castor beans and jequirity beans, poison hemlock and water hemlock, and oleander and foxglove.
Only a few plant poisons have specific antidotes, so doctors usually just treat people's symptoms.
(See also Overview of Poisoning Overview of Poisoning Poisoning is the harmful effect that occurs when a toxic substance is swallowed, is inhaled, or comes in contact with the skin, eyes, or mucous membranes, such as those of the mouth or nose... read more .)
Castor and jequirity beans
Castor beans contain ricin, an extremely potent poison. Ricin has been used in assassination attempts and as a mass-casualty weapon Toxins as Weapons "Toxin" is often loosely used to refer to any poison but technically refers only to a poisonous chemical produced by an organism (although some toxins can now also be produced synthetically)... read more . Castor bean seeds have a very tough shell so the bean must be chewed to release the poison.
Jequirity beans contain abrin, a related and even more potent toxin than ricin. The beans can be fatal if swallowed. Children can die after chewing only one bean.
Poisoning from castor beans or jequirity beans may cause severe vomiting and diarrhea (often bloody) after a delayed period. People later become delirious and have seizures. They may become comatose and die.
Doctors sometimes try to flush the beans out of the stomach and intestines before they are absorbed. There is no antidote but doctors give people fluids by vein (intravenous) and other care to treat their symptoms.
Hemlock poisoning can cause symptoms within 15 minutes. People develop a dry mouth and later a rapid heartbeat, tremors, sweating, seizures, and muscle weakness. Water hemlock may cause vomiting and diarrhea, delirium, seizures, and coma. There is no antidote but doctors give people care to treat their symptoms.
Oleander, foxglove, and lily of the valley
Oleander, foxglove, and lily of the valley contain a substance very similar to the heart drug digoxin. These plants can cause vomiting and diarrhea, confusion, irregular heartbeat, and high levels of potassium in the bloodstream (hyperkalemia Hyperkalemia (High Level of Potassium in the Blood) In hyperkalemia, the level of potassium in blood is too high. A high potassium level has many causes, including kidney disorders, medications that affect kidney function, and consumption of... read more ). Doctors sometimes treat people with DIGIFab, a drug used to treat digoxin overdose.
The following is an English-language resource that may be useful. Please note that THE MANUAL is not responsible for the content of this resource.
American Association of Poison Control Centers: Represents the US-based poison centers that provide 24/7 free, confidential services through the Poison Help Line (1-800-222-1222)
Drugs Mentioned In This Article
|Select Brand Names
|Digitek , Lanoxicaps, Lanoxin, Lanoxin Pediatric
Kwa kawaida, sumu haipatikani isipokuwa mmea huo ni wenye sumu sana au kiasi kikubwa cha mmea huo kinanunuliwa (kwa mfano, majani au sehemu nyingine za mmea huo zinapigwa na kutengenezwa mchanganyiko au kutengenezwa kuwa chai). Mimea yenye sumu sana na inayoweza kusababisha kifo ni pamoja na maharagwe ya castor na maharagwe ya jequirity, hemlock ya sumu na hemlock ya maji, na oleander na foxglove. Ni sumu chache tu za mimea ambazo zina dawa hususa, kwa hiyo kwa kawaida madaktari hutibu tu dalili za watu. Ugonjwa wa sumu ni athari mbaya ambayo hutokea wakati dutu ya sumu ni kumeza, ni inhaled, au inakuja katika kuwasiliana na ngozi, macho, au utando, kama vile wale wa mdomo au pua. Mchuzi wa castor na jequirit ni sumu yenye nguvu sana. "Ricin imekuwa kutumika katika majaribio ya mauaji na kama silaha ya mauaji ya wingi. ""Toxin"" mara nyingi hutumiwa kwa urahisi kurejelea sumu yoyote lakini kiufundi inahusu kemikali ya sumu inayotengenezwa na kiumbe (ingawa baadhi ya sumu sasa inaweza pia kutengenezwa synthetically)." Mbegu za maharagwe ya castor zina ganda gumu sana kwa hiyo maharagwe hayo lazima yakunywe ili kuondoa sumu. Mbegu za Jequirity zina abrin, sumu inayohusiana na hiyo na yenye nguvu zaidi kuliko ricin. Mbegu hizo zaweza kusababisha kifo zikimezwa. Watoto wanaweza kufa baada ya kutafuna maharagwe moja tu. Ugonjwa wa sumu kutokana na maharagwe ya castor au maharagwe ya jequirity unaweza kusababisha kutapika kali na kuhara (mara nyingi kwa damu) baada ya kipindi cha kucheleweshwa. Baadaye watu huanza kupotea na kupata mshtuko wa akili. Wanaweza kuanguka katika hali ya kukosa fahamu na kufa. Nyakati nyingine madaktari hujaribu kuondoa maharagwe hayo kutoka tumboni na matumbo kabla ya kuyamishwa. Hakuna dawa ya kuzuia ugonjwa huo lakini madaktari huwapa watu umajimaji kupitia mshipa (intravenous) na matibabu mengine ili kutibu dalili zao. Ugonjwa wa sumu ya hemlock unaweza kusababisha dalili ndani ya dakika 15. Watu huwa na kinywa kavu na baadaye moyo hupiga haraka, hutetemeka, hutokwa na jasho, hupata mshtuko wa akili, na misuli inadhoofika. Mti wa maji waweza kusababisha kutapika na kuhara, kuharibika kwa akili, mshtuko wa akili, na kukosa fahamu. Hakuna dawa ya kutibu ugonjwa huo lakini madaktari huwapa watu matibabu ili kutibu dalili zao. Oleander, foxglove, na lily of the valley Oleander, foxglove, na lily of the valley zina dutu inayofanana sana na dawa ya moyo digoxin. Mimea hii inaweza kusababisha kutapika na kuhara, kuchanganyikiwa, kugonga kwa moyo usio wa kawaida, na viwango vya juu vya potasiamu katika damu (hyperkalemia) Katika hyperkalemia, kiwango cha potasiamu katika damu ni cha juu sana. Kiwango cha juu cha potasiamu kina sababu nyingi, ikiwa ni pamoja na matatizo ya figo, dawa zinazoathiri kazi ya figo, na matumizi ya... soma zaidi ). DigiFab ni dawa ya matibabu ya digoxin. Yafuatayo ni rasilimali ya lugha ya Kiingereza ambayo yaweza kuwa yenye manufaa. Tafadhali kumbuka kwamba Mwongozo si wajibu kwa maudhui ya rasilimali hii. Chama cha Marekani cha Vituo vya Udhibiti wa sumu (AAPCC) ni shirika la Marekani linalohusiana na vituo vya udhibiti wa sumu (poison control centers) na kutoa huduma za 24 7 bure, siri kupitia Poison Help Line (1-800-222-1222) na Daktari wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa.