Retrospective review of nutmeg toxicity

2.5 out of 5 stars Nutmeg Poisonings: A Retrospective Review of 10 Years Experience from the Illinois Poison Center: 2001-2011. Ehrenpreis JE et al. J Med Toxicol 2014;10:148-151. Abstract Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the eggnog bowl . . . Nutmeg is the seed of the aromatic evergreen Myristica fragrans. It contains a number of volatile oils, some of which may be metabolized to monoamine oxidase inhibitors or amphetamine-like substances. Manifestations of nutmeg toxicity are quite similar to those of the anticholinergic syndrome, including dry mouth, flushing, tachycardia, tremor, urinary retention and delirium. There have, to my knowledge, been no reports of fatalities clearly caused by nutmeg toxicity. Four patients in this series were hospitalized. Treatment mostly consisted of observation, fluids, and benzodiazepines. The one patient who required intubation and ventilatory support had also taken several benzodiazepines, duloxetine and a synthetic cannabinoid. The authors claim that their data suggests that “there is a need to educate parents regarding child safety and the risk of exposure to toxic household items.” Since there were only a small number of cases (about 3 per year) and no young child with inadvertent exposure needed to me hospitalized, this is a dubious claim at best. This series of 32 cases over 11 years — culled from the Illinois Poison Center electronic database — suffers from the limitations inherent in data from an ...
Source: The Poison Review - Category: Toxicology Authors: Tags: Medical anticholinergic syndrome myristica fragrans nutmeg Source Type: news