Plants- multisystemic poisons Flashcards
Castor plant
Castor plant
-VERY TOXIC; all parts, especially seeds
-exposure= ingestion of seeds and fertilizers
Castor plant toxin and mechanism
Toxin= Ricin; only need 1-3 chewed seeds to be lethal
Mechanism= inactivates ribosomes, inhibits protein synthesis and leads to cell death
*cardiotoxicity and myocardial necrosis
Onset of castor plant
Latency period of several hours up to multiple days
*makes decontamination difficult
Clinical signs of castor plant toxicity
GI: abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea
CV: hypotension, hypovolemia, arrhythmias
CNS: depression, incoordination, seizures, coma
Liver and kidney damage
PM signs of castor plant tox
Multi organ hyperemia, ulcers, hemorrhage
Management of castor plants
-no antidote
-decontamination
-gastroprotectants,
-ECG monitoring,
-hepatoprotectants
-IVFT
-diazepam for seizures,
-Blood work monitoring
Diagnosis for castor plant tox
-detection of ricinine in urine or blood
DDx of castor plant toxicity
-Severe gastroenteritis
(Zn phosphide, inorganic As and Hg, DON, death cap mushroom)
Prognosis of castor plant tox
Good with aggressive supportive care
but grave with no treatment
Autumn crocus toxin and mechanism
- All parts of plant
Toxin:colchicine
(used in gout & cancer in human med, glaucoma in vet med)
Mechanism: Microtubule inhibitor = anti-mitotic agent
*undergoes enterohepatic cycling so prolonged
Clinical features of autumn crocus
-diarrhea
-pain
-vomiting
-CNS depression, weakness, seizures
-bradycardia, pale MM, hypotension, tachypnea
-
Death from autumn crocus
Death from shock, resp failure, multi organ failure
Management of autumn crocus tox
-no antidote
-decontamination
-mannitol for cerebral edema
-atropine
-antibiotics
-monitoring; need to monitor for weeks looking for myelosuppression
Diagnosis of autumn crocus
-history of ingestion
-plant ID in vomit
-detection of colchicine in blood or urine
DDx of autumn crocus
-Bone marrow suppresion
(chemotherapeutics, immunosuppression drugs, estrogen, radiation, neoplasia, FeLV)
Prognosis= poor
