Citation

Kim YS, Cho JH, Park CW, Lee HY, Lee BK, Kim HJ, Park SM, Ahn MY. J. Korean Soc. Emerg. Med. 2010; 720-723.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Korean Society of Emergency Medicine)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Aconitine has been used as a folk remedy for centuries to treat pain and as an inotropic agent. However, because its therapeutic range is very narrow, it often causes many side effects when not controlled carefully. These include nausea, vomiting, paresthesia, cardiac arrhythmia and hypotension. Most of the aconitine intoxication cases have been attributed to accidental overdose of aconitine-containing medicines. In this case, a 53-year-old woman attempted suicide by intentionally overdosing herself with an aconitine decoction. She suffered paresthesia in both arms and showed junctional rhythm on an electrocardiogram at admission. Here we report that early gastric lavage and other symptomatic therapies were helpful for treating aconitine intoxication. Similar to intoxication with other drugs, these supportive measures can prevent the patient's hospitalization.

Language: ko

Keywords

Suicide; Poisoning; Gastric lavage; Aconitine