Poison hemlock-induced respiratory failure in a toddler.

Abstract

The ingestion of poison hemlock, or Conium maculatum, is described in a 2-year-old boy. He had the onset of abdominal pain and weakness after being fed C. maculatum picked by his sister from the roadside 2 hours earlier. He had a rapidly progressive muscular weakness and was intubated for respiratory failure. His symptoms completely resolved within 24 hours of the ingestion. Conium maculatum is a common weed that causes toxicity by its primary toxin, coniine, which stimulates nicotinic receptors and causes a syndrome of rapidly progressive muscle weakness and paralysis. We describe the course of a benign-appearing plant ingestion resulting in respiratory failure.

• Authors: Patrick L West, B Zane Horowitz, Marc T Montanaro, James N Lindsay
• Journal: Pediatric emergency care (Pediatr Emerg Care) Vol. 25 Issue 11 Pg. 761-3 (Nov 2009) ISSN: 1535-1815 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 19915429 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antidotes
• Charcoal

Topics

• Administration, Oral
• Antidotes (administration & dosage)
• Charcoal (administration & dosage)
• Child, Preschool
• Conium (poisoning)
• Diagnosis, Differential
• Eating
• Humans
• Male
• Plant Poisoning (complications, diagnosis, drug therapy)
• Respiration, Artificial (methods)
• Respiratory Insufficiency (chemically induced, diagnosis, therapy)