Citation

Forrester MB. Hum. Exp. Toxicol. 2005; 24(11): 563-566.

Affiliation

Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit, Texas Department of State Health Services, Austin 78756, USA. mathias.forrester@dshs.state.tx.us

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

16323572

Abstract

Nutmeg is a spice that contains volatile oils comprised of alkyl benzene derivatives (myristicin, elemicin, safrole, etc.), terpenes and myristic acid. Nutmeg has a long history of abuse. This study describes the nutmeg ingestion calls received by Texas poison centers from 1998 to 2004. There were 17 calls involving nutmeg ingestion, of which 64.7% involved intentional abuse. When abuse and non-abuse ingestions were compared, abuse ingestions were more likely to involve males (100 versus 66.7%) and adolescents (55.6 versus 16.7%). The majority of both abuse and non-abuse calls were managed outside of health care facilities (54.5 and 66.7%, respectively). None of the ingestions resulted in more than moderate clinical effects or death.