Wild plant and mushroom poisoning

Medical history

Although the narrative description of the ingestion will have little bearing on the immediate management of a toxic ingestion, it’s important to gather as much information as possible for the benefit of the physician who will ultimately care for the victim:

• 1.

  When was the plant eaten?

• 2.

  What parts of the plant were eaten? How many different plants were eaten?

• 3.

  What symptoms does the victim have? What were the initial symptoms (sweating, hallucinations, vomiting, abdominal pain)? What was the time interval between the ingestion and the onset of symptoms? Did anyone who did not eat the plant(s) develop similar symptoms? Did everyone who ate the plant(s) become ill?

• 4.

  Was the plant eaten raw, or was it cooked? How was it cooked? Was alcohol consumed within 72 hours of the plant ingestion?

It is also important to obtain as much of the original plant as possible for identification. If the patient vomits, save their vomitus, because it might contain part of the plant or spores that can be identified by an expert.

There are few specific antidotes for toxic plant ingestions, so most victims are managed according to their symptoms, which might include sweating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, shortness of breath, slow or rapid heartbeat, pinpoint or dilated pupils, salivation, increased frequency of urination, weakness, difficulty breathing, hallucinations, and many others.