Cardiac glycoside poisoning involved in deaths from traditional medicines

Autopsy cases (from all areas of South Africa except the Cape Province) are referred for chemical investigation to the Johannesburg Forensic Chemistry Laboratory of the State Health Department. Over a 1-year period in 41 autopsies where death was presumed to have been caused by a herbal medicine, th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	South African medical journal Vol. 81; no. 3; pp. 139 - 141
Main Authors:	MCVANN, A, HAVLIK, I, JOUBERT, P. H, MONTEAGUDO, F. S. E
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Pinelands Medical Association of South Africa 01-02-1992
Subjects:	Adolescent Adult Biological and medical sciences Cardiac Glycosides - poisoning Child Child, Preschool Female Humans Infant Infant, Newborn Male Medical sciences Medicine, Traditional Middle Aged Phytotherapy Plant poisons toxicology Plants, Toxic South Africa Toxicology Tropical medicine South Africa Africa Heart Human Folk medicine Toxicity Cardiovascular disease Glycoside Poisoning Medicinal plant
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Summary:	Autopsy cases (from all areas of South Africa except the Cape Province) are referred for chemical investigation to the Johannesburg Forensic Chemistry Laboratory of the State Health Department. Over a 1-year period in 41 autopsies where death was presumed to have been caused by a herbal medicine, the presence of cardiac glycosides was sought and was found in 44%. Most of the cases were from the Transvaal, followed by Natal. Clinical histories of the patients revealed that gastrointestinal irritation was the most common syndrome experienced after traditional medicine administration (54%). It is concluded that in patients presenting with gastro-intestinal symptoms, presumably due to poisoning by traditional medicines, cardiac glycoside poisoning should be suspected.
ISSN:	0256-9574