Citation

Akintonwa A, Tunwashe OL. Hum. Exp. Toxicol. 1992; 11(1): 47-49.

Affiliation

Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1992, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

1354460

Abstract

Three patients admitted to the Accident and Emergency Unit of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) after eating a cassava based meal 'Gari' died shortly after admission. The patients vomited and complained of abdominal pain immediately after the meal. They were unconscious with renal failure and died of cardiopulmonary arrest. The cyanide levels in the blood and urine averaged 1.12 and 0.54 mg l-1, respectively. Cassava contains cyanogenic glycosides which slowly release cyanide and this may have been responsible for the death of these patients. There is an urgent need to establish maximum tolerable levels of cyanide in 'Gari' and other cassava food products.

Language: en