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Citation |
Banerjee T, Datta A. Indian J. Crit. Care Med. 2021; 25(4): 364-365. |
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Copyright |
(Copyright © 2021, Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine, Publisher Medknow Publications) |
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DOI |
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PMID |
unavailable |
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Abstract |
Deliberate self-poisoning (DSP) is a significant global problem and a rising cause of total death worldwide. The incidence of poisoning in India is among the highest in the world with estimated 50,000 deaths per year.1 Despite the vast number, evidence on prevalence patterns in India is yet limited. Different causes of poisoning include insecticides, household agents, pesticides, industrial chemicals, plants, and animal bites and stings. In India, toxic exposures related to plants account for 6-15%, however, the incidence is much higher in the rural population.2 There are more than 4,000 species of medicinal plants, growing as shrubs and herbs, many of them are potentially poisonous and fatal when consumed in high doses.3 They include oleander (cardiotoxin), Oduvanthalai (Cleistanthus collinus) (miscellaneous toxin), strychnine (nux vomica-- neurotoxin), Datura (neurotoxin), and others (castor, cactus, henna, etc.). India being a large country, literature data are still limited in relation to common plant poisons consumed, method of ingestion, demographic profile, seasonal variation, socioeconomic data, toxicology pattern, case fatality, and outcome. It is very important to understand the toxicology mechanism and clinical manifestation of different plant poisons consumed as toxicological pattern differs based on culture, availability, and geographic locations across world over.4 The current study by Kundavaram Paul Prabhakar Abhilash and others from Christian Medical College, Vellore intends to fill the above mentioned gaps. Language: en |