TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2013//
TI  - Prolonged ventilatory failure and flaccid quadriparesis following ingestion of poison hemlock
JO  - Muscle and nerve
A1  - Lung, Derrick D.
A1  - Scott, Brian J.
A1  - Wu, Alan H. B.
A1  - Gerona, Roy R. L.
SP  - 823
EP  - 827
VL  - 48
IS  - 5
N2  - Introduction: A 28-year-old man presented with acute flaccid paralysis and respiratory failure that persisted for 2 weeks after suicidal ingestion of unknown substances. Methods: Extensive clinical, nerve, laboratory, and neuroimaging testing excluded alternative causes of this neuromuscular syndrome. Prompted by clues provided by family members, liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry was used to investigate for the presence of poison hemlock. Results: Testing of the residue in a jar used for the ingestion of a poisonous concoction confirmed the presence of the nicotinic alkaloid coniine. Analysis of patient serum suggested the presence of conhydrine. Concentrations of amitriptyline and diazepam were also found to be supratherapeutic, but only through the first few days of hospitalization. Conclusion: This is a case of reversible coma, flaccid quadriparesis, and neuromuscular respiratory failure caused by intentional ingestion of poison hemlock. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0148-639X
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/mus.23916
ID  - ref1
ER  -