The mysterious potato.

Even though it comes from a potentially toxic family and may contain solanine-type alkaloids, the potato has risen from a wild food stuff of South American Indians to one of the world's most useful plants and important food source. Toxicity of the tuber commonly seen today is low, with the sprouts and green skin most often involved in toxic exposures. New cultivars may bring about more disease resistance, new tastes, and possibly a smaller solanine content.

Fluoride ingestion in children: a review of 87 cases.

All cases of fluoride ingestion in children younger than 12 years old reported to the Rocky Mountain Poison Center between January 1 and December 31, 1986, were retrospectively reviewed. Eighty-seven cases were identified. Eighty-four cases involved accidental ingestion of dental fluoride products in the home (tablets, drops, rinses) in children 8 months to 6 years old.

Granuloma formation induced by spines of the cactus, Opuntia acanthocarpa.

Embedded cactus spines may cause immediate pain due to mechanical damage, be a source of infection, or result in foreign body granulomas. The cholla cacti are particularly tenacious in the manner in which the spines stay embedded in the skin. Pulling away from the cactus may result in a portion breaking away from the main plant and embedding other spines.

Plants and mushrooms of abuse.

The plants described earlier are only a few of those that can be misused. Most have effects similar to those of more popular synthetic drugs but can cause unpleasant side effects and unpredictable results. Identification of the offending botanic agent can be problematic.

Toxic effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in overdose. An overview of recent evidence on clinical effects and dose-response relationships.

Nonsalicylate, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can be divided into 4 chemical classes: acetic acids, fenamic acids, oxicams and propionic acids. Most NSAID overdoses result in a benign outcome. Of 50,614 exposures reported to poison centres in the United States in a 2-year period, 131 (0.

Toxicity of homeopathic products.

Homeopathy is an alternative form of medicine that employs infinitesimal doses, individualized treatments and the concept of "like cures like". Practitioners are attempting to gain credibility with standard medical practice by making their drug testing (provings) conform more closely to the placebo and double-blind crossover studies done by standard medicine. Overdoses of homeopathic remedies are seldom serious (although all should be evaluated) because of the very small doses employed.

Chlorambucil overdose: accidental ingestion of an antineoplastic drug.

A 22-month-old, 10 kg child ingested 32 mg of chlorambucil and developed irritability, myoclonic-like muscle jerks, an exaggerated startle reflex, vomiting, and EEG changes within a few hours. The neurologic symptoms improved overnight, and the patient was discharged at about 28 hours postingestion. During the three weeks of follow-up, mild bone marrow suppression occurred and resolved.

Cigarette and nicotine chewing gum toxicity in children.

A prospective review of 51 cases of tobacco ingestion and 5 cases of nicotine resin chewing gum exposure was conducted to evaluate the incidence and degree of toxicity caused by these products in children. A dose-response relationship was observed for cigarette exposures. Nine of 10 children ingesting more than one cigarette or three cigarette butts developed signs or symptoms, while 12 of 24 ingesting lesser amounts became symptomatic (P less than 0.

Five cases of Thermopsis poisoning.

Various Thermopsis species are found in the foothills and plains of the Rocky Mountains. There are no reported cases of human ingestion to Thermopsis reported in the literature. We report 5 cases of ingestion of seeds or flowers where the primary symptoms were nausea, vomiting and headache of several hours duration.

Mystery root ingestion.

Patients frequently come to the emergency department or contact a poison center following exposure to plants. These cases are often challenging owing to difficulty in correct identification of the involved plant. A case of two patients who demonstrated anticholinergic syndromes after ingesting an unknown, wild plant is described.

Toxicity of Cyclamen persium (Mill).

Cyclamen spp contain toxic saponins, although the number of serious exposures is very low. The plant was investigated for toxic and pharmacologic properties in the 1950's and 1960's, but there is little current investigation. Cyclamens have been found both as woodland plants and houseplants in Europe for years, and the plant is becoming increasingly popular in the US.

Assessing mistletoe toxicity.

To assess the potential toxicity of mistletoe ingestion, data were collected on 14 cases of ingestion of one to three berries or one or two leaves of American mistletoe (Phoradendron sp) from 1982 to 1985. Eleven patients ingested berries and three ingested leaves; none became symptomatic. Nine patients were observed at home without intervention except poison center telephone follow-up.

Human overdose with the veterinary tranquilizer xylazine.

Three patients self-injected the veterinary tranquilizing agent xylazine (Rompun). The first patient developed mild bradycardia and hypotension, miosis, and a feeling of disorientation. The other two patients became apneic and required intubation and mechanical ventilation.

Blue-green algae poisoning.

Poisoning by blue-green algae occurs after an algal "bloom" caused by warm weather and algal concentration. On death or disintegration, the algae release liver toxins and neurotoxins (fast death factor). Although deaths are common in animal exposures, human exposures have been limited to various allergic reactions, mild liver enzyme elevation, and gastroenteritis.

Human ivermectin exposure.

Ivermectin is a veterinary antiparasitic medication for domestic animals. Two cases of human exposure to veterinary preparations of ivermectin are reported. Patient number one accidentally self-injected ivermectin and developed nausea, pallor, and transient pain and numbness in the affected extremity.

Evaluating exposures to plants.

Most clinical problems due to plant exposures result from experimentation with or overt abuse of plant parts and extracts. Plant exposures may present as complex pharmacologic problems that challenge the diagnostic and therapeutic skills of the physician. Although specific physiologic antagonists (antidotes) may exist for specific intoxications, basic decontamination and supportive techniques are often all that may be offered.