Question
A 7-year-old child is brought to the emergency department after ingesting an unidentified wild fruit. The fruit is described as a thorny capsule containing numerous small seeds. Soon after ingestion, the child develops:
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Dry mouth and difficulty swallowing
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Dilated pupils
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Hot, flushed skin
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Restlessness and muttering delirium
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Ataxic (drunken) gait
Based on the clinical features and the description of the fruit, which of the following is the most likely cause of poisoning?
| A. |
Poppy seeds poisoning |
| B. |
Datura poisoning |
| C. |
Mushroom poisoning |
| D. |
Cannabis poisoning |
|
Correct Answer » B Explanation |
 |
Datura/ devil’s trumpet is a deliriant poison (other than Cannabis, Cocaine). The symptoms given are due to Datura poisoning.
If it is a white flower plant, it is Datura alba. If it is a purple dark color flower it is Datura nigeria. Datura stramonium AKA Jimson’s weed is also known as thorn apple.
Entire plant is poisonous.
Active principle: Hyoscine (Scopolamine), Truth serum drug, which is used in narco analysis, Hyoscyamine, Atropine.
1 Fruit almost contains 100s of seeds.
Fatal dose is 100- 125 seeds.
Used as a roadside poison or railway poison. There is no criminal responsibility for a person who has been given Datura because his actions are involuntary intoxication. 328 IPC – Hurt with poison with criminal intention.
Anticholinergic
Signs and Symptoms
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Dryness in skin and mouth
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Dysphagia – Difficulty in swallowing
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Dilated pupil (very earliest symptom)
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Drunken Gait
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Dysarthria – Slurred speech
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Muttering Delirium
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Drowsiness
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Death
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Carpologia – It feels like it is a kind of hallucination, imaginary threads, and pill-rolling movement.
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Feature: Blind as a bat. Hot as a hare. Dry as a bone. Red as a bee. Mad as a hen.
Reasons to Rule Out Other Options:
A. Poppy seeds poisoning: While poppy seeds themselves are not highly toxic, they may contain trace amounts of opiates like morphine and codeine. However, poisoning from consumption of poppy seeds in typical dietary amounts is highly unlikely and would not usually cause severe acute symptoms.
C. Mushroom poisoning: Mushroom poisoning would be a possibility if the ingestion of wild mushrooms was reported. Symptoms vary widely depending on the species consumed and can range from mild gastrointestinal distress to severe organ damage or death.
D. Cannabis poisoning: Although cannabis can cause adverse effects such as altered perception and discomfort, it does not typically present through ingestion of a fruit-like substance, and its effects are generally less severe than those described for Datura poisoning.