Citation

Shumaik GM, Wu AW, Ping AC. Ann. Emerg. Med. 1988; 17(7): 732-735.

Affiliation

Regional Poison Center, University of California, San Diego Medical Center 92103-1990.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1988, American College of Emergency Physicians, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

3382077

Abstract

A 37-year-old man presented two hours after the ingestion of "a handful" of oleander leaves (probably Nerium oleander) in a suicide attempt. Cardiotoxicity was evidenced by the presence of bradycardia (rate, 30 to 45) with sinoatrial nodal arrest and junctional escape consistent with a cardiac glycoside effect. The patient was treated empirically with a single dose of five vials (200 mg) of digoxin-specific Fab antibody fragments (Digibind). The pretreatment digoxin level was 1.5 ng/mL. After treatment, the patient's rhythm stabilized with residual sinus bradycardia (rate, 56). The patient recovered uneventfully and was discharged on the fifth hospital day to inpatient psychiatric care.

Language: en