Tetrodotoxin poisoning: a clinical analysis, role of neostigmine and short-term outcome of 53 cases.

Introduction: Puffer fish (tetrodotoxin) poisoning is now a common form of poisoning throughout coastal countries, but its diagnosis and management are still unclear. In this paper, we aim to share our experience and to find out the toxic manifestations, lag period between ingestion of fish and development of symptoms, the short-term clinical outcome, and value of neostigmine in its management.

Methods: The study was carried out in the Department of Medicine and Paediatrics, Khulna Medical College Hospital, Khulna, Bangladesh, from May 1, 2001 to May 1, 2006.