Cyanide poisoning from an alternative medicine treatment with apricot kernels in a 80-year-old female

Drankowska Justyna, Kos Michał, Kościuk Andrzej, Tchórz Michał. Cyanide poisoning from an alternative medicine treatment with apricot kernels in a 80-year-old female. Journal of Education, Health and Sport. 2018;8(12):19-26. eISNN 2391-8306. DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1844020

http://ojs.ukw.edu.pl/index.php/johs/article/view/6338

 

 

 

 

 

 

The journal has had 7 points in Ministry of Science and Higher Education parametric evaluation. Part B item 1223 (26/01/2017).

1223 Journal of Education, Health and Sport eISSN 2391-8306 7

 

© The Authors 2018;

This article is published with open access at Licensee Open Journal Systems of Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, Poland

Open Access. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author (s) and source are credited. This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non commercial license Share alike.

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The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this paper.

 

Received: 25.11.2018. Revised: 25.11.2018. Accepted: 02.12.2018.

 

 

 

 

 

Cyanide poisoning from an alternative medicine treatment with apricot kernels in a 80-year-old female

 

 

 

 

 

 

Justyna Drankowska

 

Student's Research Group in the Department of Toxicology, Medical University of Lublin

Poland

Principal contact for editorial correspondence.

 

Michał Kos

Student's Research Group in the Department of Toxicology, Medical University of Lublin

Poland

 

Andrzej Kościuk

Student's Research Group in the Department of Toxicology, Medical University of Lublin

Poland

 

Michał Tchórz

Department of Toxicology, Medical University of Lublin

Poland

 

 

 

Abstract

 

Introduction: Amygdaline, one of the most common cyanogenic glycosides, is present in the seeds and fruit pits of Prunus species. The excessive administration of this glycoside might lead to cyanide poisoning.

Aim: The aim of the study is to depict the risk associated with apricot kernels ingestion on the base of the case report.

Methods: The analysis of the patient’s medical history and the review of available literature.

Results: 80- year- old female with the medical history of papillary thyroid cancer was admitted to the toxicology department due to accidental cyanide poisoning. The patient consumed extract consisted of milled apricot kernels, then suffered from dyspnea, vertigo and vomiting. After that, she lost consciousness. Lactic acidosis, highly specific for cyanide intoxication, was diagnosed during hospitalization. The patient was treated with fluid and steroid therapy, sodium bicarbonate and supplemental oxygen. On the 3rd day of stay, the patient was discharged with recommendation of control in toxicological clinic.

Conclusions: Initial symptoms of cyanide poisoning are not specific, therefore it is worth taking this poisoning into account in differential diagnosis, especially in oncological patients or in children.

 

 

Key words: cyanide; alternative medicine; poisoning; apricot kernels