Acute Datura stramonium Poisoning in East of Algeria – Three Cases
N. Mahdeb
Département de Biochimie, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Université Ferhat Abbas – Sétif, 1 – 19000, Sétif, Algeria.
Z. Benouadah
Département de Biochimie, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Université Ferhat Abbas – Sétif, 1 – 19000, Sétif, Algeria.
T. Zebiche
Hopital d’Ain Oulmène, Ain Oulmène, Sétif, Algeria.
R. Hadjab
Hopital d’Ain Oulmène, Ain Oulmène, Sétif, Algeria.
A. Bouzidi *
Département de Biochimie, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Université Ferhat Abbas – Sétif, 1 – 19000, Sétif, Algeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Poisoning hallucinogenic plants rarely occurs in children but it is a significant problem for the emergency doctor. We report the case of three boys who suddenly exhibited behavioral problems, one of whom was in serious condition. The three children had no remarkable medical history and were not receiving prescription medication, healthy there. The rapid hospitalization of three children by their parents, who informed the physician taking the seeds of Datura by their children, facilitated the treatment. The doctor undertook gastric lavage for patients because it is performed by several authors. Two boys were able to leave the hospital the same evening; the third hard hit was evacuated to the University Hospital of Setif. The medical history should be taken several times in cases of unknown etiology, and doctors should keep in mind the possibility that anticholinergics unexplained symptoms could be the result of exposure to hallucinogenic plants like Datura.
Keywords: Datura stramonium, children, intoxication, anticholinergics symptoms