Tödliche Vergiftung mit Eibennadeln (Taxus baccata)

✍ Scribed by Th. Schulte

• Publisher: Springer-Verlag
• Year: 1975
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 372 KB
• Volume: 34
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0340-5761
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00353316

✦ Synopsis

A case of a rare lethal intoxication with yew leaves (taxus baccata) is reported.

The clinical signs were dizziness (onset l hr after yew leaves were ingested}, nausea, diffuse abdominal pain, unconsciousness, weak breathing, tachycardia, brief ventrieular flutter afterwards a slow pulse, and finally death by respiratory arrest and diastolic cardiac standstill. Particular attention was given to the ECG. It showed an atypical bundle branch block with a maximal Ql~S-duration of 0.24 sec. A striking resemblence to the ECG in the case of hyperkalemia is seen in that P-waves were absent. Therefore, the possibility is noted that an acute hyperkalemia could be partly responsible for the cardiotoxic effect of the leaf.