Acute toxic herbal intake in a suicide attempt and fatal refractory ventricular arrhythmia

Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol. 2010 Aug;107(2):698-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1742-7843.2010.00566.x. Epub 2010 Mar 26.

Abstract

This report involves a 54-year-old man who died following refractory ventricular fibrillation after ingestion of a plant in a suicide attempt. Repeated direct-current cardioversions were unsuccessful and no single anti-arrhythmic agent was effective for arrhythmia control. The routine blood toxicological screening was negative. Aconitine, the main toxin of Aconitum napellus was identified using a specific liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method. The whole blood concentration (24 microg/l) was higher than those reported in other aconitine-related deaths. The patient had found information about the life-threatening nature of such a toxic herb intake on a free medical encyclopedia online.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aconitine / blood
  • Aconitine / chemistry
  • Aconitine / poisoning*
  • Aconitum / chemistry
  • Aconitum / poisoning*
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Forensic Toxicology / methods
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Plant Poisoning / etiology
  • Plant Preparations / chemistry
  • Plant Preparations / poisoning
  • Plants, Toxic / chemistry
  • Plants, Toxic / poisoning*
  • Suicide*
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry
  • Ventricular Fibrillation / chemically induced*
  • Ventricular Fibrillation / physiopathology

Substances

  • Plant Preparations
  • Aconitine