A Case Report of Accidental Intoxication following Ingestion of Foxglove Confused with Borage: High Digoxinemia without Major Complications

Negroni, Maria Silvia and Marengo, Arianna and Caruso, Donatella and Tayar, Alessandro and Rubiolo, Patrizia and Giavarini, Flavio and Persampieri, Simone and Sangiovanni, Enrico and Davanzo, Franca and Carugo, Stefano and Colombo, Maria Laura and Dell’Agli, Mario (2019) A Case Report of Accidental Intoxication following Ingestion of Foxglove Confused with Borage: High Digoxinemia without Major Complications. Case Reports in Cardiology, 2019. pp. 1-6. ISSN 2090-6404

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Abstract

Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea L.) leaves are frequently confused with borage (Borago officinalis L.), which is traditionally used as a food ingredient. Due to the presence of the cardiac glycosides, mostly digitoxin, foxglove leaves are poisonous to human and may be fatal if ingested. A 55-year-old Caucasian woman complaining weakness, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting was admitted to the Emergency Department. Her symptoms started following consumption of a home-made savory pie with 5 leaves from a plant bought in a garden nursery as borage. Digoxinemia was high (10.4 μg/L). The patient was admitted to the cardiac intensive care unit for electrocardiographic monitoring. Two days after admission, a single episode of advanced atrioventricular (AV) block was recorded by telemetry, followed by a second-degree AV block episode. Plasma samples at day 11 were analysed by LC-MS spectrometry, and gitoxin was identified suggesting that this compound may be responsible for the clinical toxicity rather than digoxin. In the case of Digitalis spp. poisoning, laboratory data should be interpreted according to the clinical picture and method of analysis used since a variety of glycosides, which are chemically similar to the cardioactive glycosides but without or with fewer cardiac effects, may be incorrectly recognized as digoxin by the test, giving misleading results.

Item Type: Article
Subjects: Institute Archives > Medical Science
Depositing User: Managing Editor
Date Deposited: 27 Feb 2023 04:39
Last Modified: 24 Jun 2024 04:04
URI: http://eprint.subtopublish.com/id/eprint/906

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