Death from cardiac glycoside "pong-pong" following use as weight-loss supplement purchased on Internet.
Am J Emerg Med
; 38(8): 1698.e5-1698.e6, 2020 08.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-32387148
Cerbera odollam or "pong-pong" tree contains cardiac glycosides similar to digoxin, oleander and yellow oleander. Cerbera odollam is a common method of suicide in South East Asia and has also been used as a weight loss supplement. We present a case of a 33-year-old female presenting with lethargy, vomiting, bradycardia, severe hyperkalemia of 8.9 mEq/L, slow atrial fibrillation followed by cardiovascular collapse following the ingestion of "pong-pong", the kernel of Cerbera odollam, as a weight loss supplement. Despite the administration of a total of nine vials of digoxin-specific Fab the patient could not be resuscitated. Clinicians should be aware of natural cardiac glycosides being uses as weight-loss agents and consider acute cardiac glycoside poisoning in patients with hyperkalemia, abnormal cardiovascular signs, symptoms and abnormal ECG findings.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Cardiac Glycosides
/
Anti-Obesity Agents
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Dietary Supplements
/
Apocynaceae
Limits:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
Language:
En
Journal:
Am J Emerg Med
Year:
2020
Document type:
Article