1. A case of aconitine poisoning with analysis of aconitine alkaloids by GC/SIM.
- Author
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Yoshioka N, Gonmori K, Tagashira A, Boonhooi O, Hayashi M, Saito Y, and Mizugaki M
- Subjects
- Aconitine analogs & derivatives, Aconitine urine, Fatal Outcome, Forensic Medicine, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Plants, Edible, Poaceae, Poisoning blood, Poisoning urine, Aconitine poisoning, Chromatography, Gas methods, Ion-Selective Electrodes
- Abstract
Described here is a fatal case of accidental aconitine poisoning following the ingestion of aconite, Torikabuto, mistaken for an edible grass, Momijigasa. A 61-year-old man developed symptoms of nausea, diarrhea, and discomfort of the body about 2 h after the ingestion and was taken to an emergency room. Resuscitation and antiarrhythmic drugs were ineffective, and ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation developed and lasted for 6 h. He was transferred to a coronary care unit and complete sinus rhythm was obtained on an electrocardiogram 30 h after his admission. The patient fell into a coma and died of brain edema diagnosed by CT on the 6th day. Consent for autopsy was denied by the family but was given for gas chromatography/selected ion monitoring (GC/SIM) to analyze the toxicity of aconitine alkaloids in the blood and the urine. Only a faint amount of jesaconitine was detected, while aconitine, mesaconitine and hypaconitine were not detectable in the blood 24 h after ingestion. On the other hand, aconitine and its related alkaloids such as mesaconitine, jesaconitine, and hypaconitine were clearly detected in the urine.
- Published
- 1996
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