plants - 20%

Question 1

Guava

Answer 1

common guava, just like the kind that we would enjoy off of the tree (no poison guava here, to my knowledge), has an opiate-like effect, causing ileus. The fruit and the leaves, when eaten by horses, thus causes colic, so rectal palpation must be performed.

Question 2

Kiawe (mesquite)

Answer 2

Ingestion pods by goats causes vacuolation of the trigeminal nucleus, resulting in tremors of the jaw and an inability to prehend food and thus to graze.

Question 3

Naalehu disease

Answer 3

Enzootic calcinosis is a disease complex of ruminants and horses caused by plant poisoning or mineral imbalances and characterized by extensive calcification of soft tissues.

Question 4

Lantana

Answer 4

Toxic principle is pentacyclic triterpine acids inc lantadne A and B. Susceptible species are sheep cattle and children and horses. Forage and ripe berries contain toxic substance - greeen berries have higher concentration of toxin. A major poisoning in FLA.
MOA - very hepatotoxic.
Tx for 12-24 hrs. physostigmine may initiate dramatic reversal of some signs within minutes. Watch for contraindications of physiostigmine such as obstruction, asthma, cardiovasc. dz etc.

Question 5

Oleander

Answer 5

Nasty cardioglycoside. Stems flowers and leaves can kill. As little as one leaf can kill an adult human. Tx cardiac arrythmias and support.

Question 6

taro

Answer 6

The taro is in the family Araceae which also includes Calla lilies, philodendron and dumb cane. These plants have idioblast cells which contain calcium oxalate crystals. When the plant is chewed upon the idioblasts break open, “injecting” the calcium oxalate cells into the mucous membranes of the mouth. Clinical signs can include immediate swelling of the lips and tongue, hypersalivation, retching, and vomiting, along with more species-specific signs of oral pain (bruxism in rabbits for example). There is some concern that if a large amount of plant material was ingested that the swelling could be severe enough to cause an upper airway obstruction.

Apparently boiling the Taro root removes the calcium oxalate crystals, making them safe to eat.

Question 7

paraquat (herbicide)

Answer 7

Inhaled or ingested
Paraquat’s main target organs are the gastrointestinal tract, lung and kidney. Immediately following exposures, abdominal tenderness, vomiting, anorexia, diarrhea and mucosal ulcers are commonly reported. This phase is typically followed by respiratory compromise (e.g., tachypnea, dyspnea, exercise intolerance, cyanosis, rales) due to severe edema, congestion, hemorrhage and necrosis of the bronchiolar and alveolar epithelium within the lung. However, if the dose is severe enough, fibrosis of the lung and necrosis of the renal tubule epithelium can ultimately lead to the demise of the patient. Successful treatment of this disease is rare, and even supportive measures like oxygen therapy may make the condition worse. Poisonings are generally confirmed postmortem by residue testing of urine, liver, kidney and lung tissue, along with characteristic histologic lesions of the lung and kidney. Malicious poisonings are common with this herbicide.