[An investigation of a food poisoning incident caused by Amanita fuliginea].

Mistakenly picking and eating poisonous mushrooms can cause acute poisoning. In August 2020, Qingdao Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine handled a poisonous mushroom poisoning incident, conducted epidemiological investigation on all poisoned patients, collected suspicious food, clinical manifestations, clinical test results and treatment conditions, and identified the mushrooms as Amanita fuliginea poisoning after morphological identification. In this incident, 6 people ate grey goose paste, of which 4 were sick with a incubation period of 6~12 h. The clinical manifestations were gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, liver and kidney damage. After symptomatic support treatment, hemoperfusion or continuous hemofiltration treatment, the patients were cured and discharged. It is suggested to strengthen the popular science education on poisonous mushroom poisoning and improve the ability of identification and clinical treatment of poisonous mushrooms in grass-roots medical institutions.

Results of diagnostics and treatment of amanita phalloides poisoning in Slovakia (2004-2020).

The paper presents results of AI diagnostics and treatment across the period of 2004-2020 pointing to the efficacy of two particular protocols. METHOD: Quantitative determination of amanitins in blood (ATOs) and urine (ATOu) performed by the original ELISA kit, indicated upon mycological history and clinical symptoms of poisoning. ATOu positive cases were recommended our protocol; ATOu negative results excluded amanitin poisoning. RESULTS: out of 2876 fungal poisonings registered in Slovakia during the subjected period, were 698 AI suspected cases. In 557 of them, was AI reliably excluded, in 141 confirmed. Urinary ATOu correlated with the severity of poisoning in the range of 6-47 h after mushroom ingestion, without false negativity. Serum ATOs had no diagnostic value. 129 patients with confirmed AI received full treatment protocol with antidotes of penicillin plus silibinin. In this group died two patients of acute kidney injury in the early stages of poisoning and 127 patients were recovered. Silibinin without penicillin was used in 12 patients. One of them undergone liver transplantation and four patients died of fulminant liver failure, respectively intracranial hemorrhage. Treatment failure in the PNC + silibinin protocol was 1.5 % (2 of 127 patients), silibinin alone being 41.7 % (5 of 12 patients, p = 0.00058). CONCLUSION: Early diagnostics of amanitin intoxication based on mycological and clinical history and subsequent determination of urinary amanitin levels (ATOu) allows early initiation of treatment. The use of treatment protocol with antidotes of PNC and silibinin is of high therapeutic efficacy. The omission of PNC from the treatment protocol significantly worsens patients' prognosis.

Bibliometric Analysis of Mushroom Poisoning: From Diversity to Clinical Management.

The earliest publication related to mushroom poisoning dates back to 1837. To date, bibliometric analysis related to the field of mushroom poisoning has not been published. This study aimed to assess the most significant publications in this field as well as the associated trends and important drivers in the research related to mushroom poisoning. The Scopus database was screened to identify relevant publications on mushroom poisoning. A total of 985 publications with a minimum of five citations were identified and analyzed. Pearson's correlation demonstrated an insignificant weak negative correlation (Pearson's correlation of -0.020, P > 0.01) between the number of years since publication and the number of citation counts of a paper. Bradford's law of scattering revealed that one-third of publications were published in 31 core journals, with Clinical Toxicology topping the list (41 papers). VOSviewer was used to generate a network visualization based on country. The United States was the largest contributor of publications on mushroom poisoning, contributing 19.6% of 985. China is an emerging leader in publications on mushroom poisoning research since 2011, with the most recent average publication year of 2011.18. A term map was also created to visualize the co-occurrence of key terms, whereby Amanita phalloides-related research appeared to be the most frequently published topic in this field. In conclusion, the results of this bibliometric study shed light on the status of mushroom poisoning research and can guide investigators on current research trends for high-impact knowledge contribution in the field.

The Potential Activity of Lingzhi or Reishi Medicinal Mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum (Agaricomycetes), to Alleviate Liver Injury in Adults with Acute Mushroom Poisoning: A Retrospective Study.

In the study, we retrospectively reviewed cases of patients with acute mushroom poisoning admitted to seven hospitals from May 2016 to May 2021. In total, we analyzed 153 acute mushroom poisoning cases. Of these patients, 135 survived and 18 died; no correlation of Ganoderma lucidum treatment with in-hospital mortality was observed (odds ratio = 1.598, P = 0.589). We further analyzed 61 patients who survived with liver injury according to whether they were treated with G. lucidum. Both length of hospital stay and hospitalization expenses in the G. lucidum treatment group were significantly lower than the control, with values of 6.69 ± 3.98 days vs. 9.27 ± 5.30 days (t = 2.174, P = 0.034) and 16,336.49 ± 12,615.76 CNY vs. 27,540.08 ± 23,709.57 CNY (t = 2.382, P = 0.020), respectively. Moreover, cases with a blood purification treatment time > 48 h of the G. lucidum group were significantly less than that of the control (30% vs. 69.23%; χ2 = 4.891, P = 0.027). As a result, G. lucidum seems to be a beneficial treatment in acute mushroom poisoning with liver injury.

Medical error in treatment of Amanita phalloides poisoning in pre-hospital care.

BACKGROUND: Geopolitical and climate changes form the background of the current migration crisis. It has many faces. One of them are the tragic cases of poisoning of refugees due to eating wild forest mushrooms for socioeconomic reasons in the Western and Northern European countries. The most serious food poisonings in Europe, but not only, are caused by lamellar mushrooms, the most dangerous being Amanita phalloides. Its poisonous properties can be attributed to α-amanitin, an RNA polymerase II inhibitor. Unfortunately, as it is characterized by a delayed onset of symptoms, A. phalloides poisoning has a high risk of complications. CASE PRESENTATION: Our article presents a case of A. phalloides poisoning in a 28-year-old man, in which the responding medical emergency unit made errors in diagnosis and treatment. Since the correct diagnosis was made too late, the typical treatment of A. phalloides poisoning was ineffective. The patient suffered a life-threatening liver failure and needed liver transplant from a deceased donor. CONCLUSIONS: Mushroom poisoning is a particularly important problem not only in countries with a mushroom picking tradition, but also-due to the inflow of refugees-in countries where mushroom poisoning was very rare until recently. In such cases it is crucial to quickly implement the correct procedure, as this can prevent the need for liver transplant or even death. This is a particularly important consideration for the first medical professionals to contact the patient, especially in cases where the patient reports mushrooms consumption and presents alarming symptoms of the gastrointestinal tract. Such situations cannot be underestimated and ignored.

Toxic Effects of Amanitins: Repurposing Toxicities toward New Therapeutics.

The consumption of mushrooms has become increasingly popular, partly due to their nutritional and medicinal properties. This has increased the risk of confusion during picking, and thus of intoxication. In France, about 1300 cases of intoxication are observed each year, with deaths being mostly attributed to Amanita phalloides poisoning. Among amatoxins, α- and ß-amanitins are the most widely studied toxins. Hepatotoxicity is the hallmark of these compounds, leading to hepatocellular failure within three days of ingestion. The toxic mechanisms of action mainly include RNA polymerase II inhibition and oxidative stress generation, leading to hepatic cell apoptosis or necrosis depending on the doses ingested. Currently, there is no international consensus concerning Amanita phalloides poisoning management. However, antidotes with antioxidant properties remain the most effective therapeutics to date suggesting the predominant role of oxidative stress in the pathophysiology. The partially elucidated mechanisms of action may reveal a suitable target for the development of an antidote. The aim of this review is to present an overview of the knowledge on amanitins, including the latest advances that could allow the proposal of new innovative and effective therapeutics.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation combined with sequential blood purification in the treatment of myocardial damage and cardiac arrest caused by mushroom poisoning.

Mushroom poisoning is a common clinical problem. Severe mushroom poisoning often causes liver and kidney failure. Although severe myocardial damage is rare, the fatality rate is extremely high. This case report describes a 56-year-old male suffered severe myocardial damage, multiple organ dysfunction, circulatory failure, recurrent malignant arrhythmia, and cardiac arrest after the ingestion of wild mushrooms. He was administered venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) combined with hemoperfusion, plasma exchange and continuous renal replacement therapy. The heart rhythm gradually stabilized 3 hours after ECMO surgery. On the 6th day after ECMO, heart function recovered. The patient was then weaned from ECMO, and he ultimately recovered and was discharged. In patients with fatal mushroom poisoning leading to refractory arrhythmia and cardiac arrest, early implementation of VA-ECMO combined with sequential blood purification treatment can improve the prognosis and increase the survival rate.

Medium Cut-Off Membrane Can Be a New Treatment Tool in Amanita phalloides Poisoning.

Mushroom poisoning is a common health problem that can be seen seasonally and geographically. Most mushroom poisoning requiring treatment worldwide is due to Amanita phalloides. Although liver failure and kidney injury are frequent, poisoning can also lead to more serious clinical situations, such as shock, pancreatitis, encephalopathic coma, cardiac failure, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, and may cause death. In addition, when standard treatment approaches fail, extracorporeal treatment methods are often used. We report 2 cases in which hemodialysis with medium cut-off membrane was performed. We observed an improvement in liver and kidney function in both of our cases. The first case recovered, but the second case proved fatal owing to Acinetobacter sepsis, despite an improvement in renal function. Medium cut-off membrane hemodialysis may be an alternative option in the treatment of Amanita phalloides poisoning.

Amanita phalloides intoxication: mechanism of toxicity, clinical manifestations and therapeutic approaches.

Ingestion of Amanita phalloides is the most common cause of fatal mushroom poisoning. The clinical picture of intoxication varies from mild subclinical manifestation to lethal fulminant course with the development of acute liver failure. Early diagnosis of Amanita phalloides poisoning is crucial for the outcome but i tis difficult because it is often mistaken as gastroenteritis or due to other mushroom poisoning. The diagnosis is based on the history of recent mushroom ingestion followed by gastrointestinal symptoms, typical time course and laboratory markers and is proven with mycological examination or toxicological examination. Specific treatment consists of detoxification procedures, supportive measures, administration of drugs and therapy in the specialized intensive care unit in the case of acute liver failure. In selected patients with acute liver failure urgent liver transplantation is the only life-saving option.

Mushroom Poisoning Cases in Dogs and Cats: Diagnosis and Treatment of Hepatotoxic, Neurotoxic, Gastroenterotoxic, Nephrotoxic, and Muscarinic Mushrooms.

Ingestion of poisonous mushrooms by small animals can lead to liver failure, neurotoxicity, or gastrointestinal irritation. Although amanita poisoning can be lethal, ingestion of other toxic mushrooms is generally self-limiting and not life threatening. Most cases are undiagnosed, as routine diagnostic tests only exist for amanitins and psilocin. Early detection of amanitin exposure can greatly aid in the therapeutic intervention by allowing veterinarians to make timely decisions regarding patient management. Treatment is generally supportive, but specific therapeutic measures exist for amanitin and psilocin exposures.

[Mixed amanita phalloides poisoning with rhabdomyolysis: analysis of 4 cases].

We report the clinical characteristics, treatments and outcomes of 4 rare cases of mixed amanita fuliginea and amanita rimosa poisoning with rhabdomyolysis, and review the research progress in the intoxication mechanism and treatment. The latent time of amanita poisoning, defined as the period from the ingestion of poisonous mushroom to the onset of gastrointestinal symptoms, was about 8 days, and the severity of poisoning was associated with the amount of mushroom ingested. All the 4 patients developed multiple organ dysfunctions within 3 to 4 days after mushroom ingestion, predominantly in the liver, kidney and central nervous system accompanied with acute gastrointestinal injury and rhabdomyolysis. The treatment measures included persistent hemofiltration and intermittent hemoperfusion once daily for 5-7 days, and plasma exchange was administered in 2 cases for 1 or 2 times. High-dose vitamin C, glucose and corticosteroid were also given to the patients. After the treatments, two patients were cured and the other two died due to an excess intake of poisonous mushroom and lack of early preemptive therapies. Early emetic, gastric lavage, catharsis, fluid infusion and diuresis are critical to interrupt the enterohepatic circulation of amanita phalloides toxins and prevent the development of multiple organ dysfunction. Enhanced hemofiltration and sequential plasma therapy might effectively eliminate toxin from the blood to protect against further organ damages.

Acute Liver Failure due to Amanita phalloides Poisoning: Therapeutic Approach and Outcome.

INTRODUCTION: Amanita phalloides poisoning is a potentially fatal cause of acute liver failure. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of initial patients' characteristics and different treatment modalities on the outcome of patients with liver failure caused by Amanita poisoning. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 23 patients admitted to our center between July 2007 and August 2016. RESULTS: Mean time interval between Amanita phalloides ingestion and the onset of gastrointestinal symptoms was 12.48 ± 9.88 hours and the interval between ingestion and hospital admission 26.26 ± 15.14 hours. The treatment was intiated by oral decontamination using activated charcoal followed by intravenous rehydration and high doses of intravenous N-acetylcysteine and silibinin. Fourteen patients (61%) underwent extracorporeal elimination method. Ten patients had plasmapheresis, 1 patient had hemoperfusion, and 5 patients had fractionated plasma separation and adsorption. Seven patients who met King's College Criteria were listed for urgent liver transplantation; one of them died before transplantation. Six patients underwent liver transplantation; the mean waiting time was 6.5 ± 12.0 days (range, 1-31 days). One patient died 2 months afterward. All 16 patients who did not meet King's College Criteria and received conservative treatment survived. CONCLUSION: Our results documented a good prognostic value of standard King's College Criteria for indication of urgent liver transplantation in acute liver failure caused by Amanita phalloides poisoning. Fractionated plasma separation and adsorption may contribute to low mortality on the waiting list. Intensive care and extracorporeal elimination methods seem to be crucial points of the conservative treatment.

No clinically relevant effects in children after accidental ingestion of Panaeolina foenisecii (lawn mower's mushroom).

INTRODUCTION: Panaeolina foenisecii is one of the most common and widely distributed lawn mushrooms in Europe and North America, and frequently involved in accidental mushroom ingestion, mainly in children. Nevertheless, there is contradictory information regarding the toxicity profile of P. foenisecii in the literature. Objective of the study was to assess clinical effects with particular attention on psychoactive properties of P. foenisecii in case of accidental oral exposure. METHODS: This observational case series is based on prospectively collected data on mushroom poisoning using a structured data collection form, and it was performed in seven poisons centres in Germany and Switzerland. Inclusion criteria were accidental ingestion of at least one cap of P. foenisecii identified by a mycologist, and a follow up of at least 4 hours. RESULTS: Nineteen cases met all inclusion criteria, and only children were involved with a mean age of 3 years. They ingested 1-2 mushrooms in 14 cases and 3-5 mushrooms in five cases. Three patients received a single dose of activated charcoal. Sixteen out of 19 cases did not develop any symptoms, 2/19 complained of minor abdominal discomfort. One child was temporarily mildly hyperactive, and this was the only patient observed in a hospital for 12 hours. None of the children showed signs of hallucinations. CONCLUSIONS: This multicentre study demonstrates that the typically small amounts of P. foenisecii ingested by children probably do not lead to clinically significant symptoms.

Effectiveness of Fractionated Plasma Separation and Absorption as a Treatment for Amanita Phalloides Poisoning.

BACKGROUND Fractionated plasma separation and absorption (FPSA) is an extracorporeal liver support method that detoxifies accumulated toxins. There are limited data of its use in the treatment of Amanita phalloides intoxication. The objective of this study was to investigate whether FPSA before liver transplantation improves patients' short-term post liver transplantation survival in Amanita phalloides poisoning. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study population consisted of ten patients who had liver transplantation (LT) due to acute liver failure (ALF) caused by Amanita phalloides poisoning. Six patients were treated with FPSA before liver transplantation. All the patients who were started on FPSA were also placed on the liver transplantation list according to emergent liver transplantation criteria. RESULTS Patients treated with FPSA were in a more severe clinical condition presenting in higher mean MELD, total bilirubin, INR and ammonia along with more frequent hypoglycemia and hepatic encephalopathy grade 3/4. FPSA group had longer mean waiting time on the recipient list (3.5 vs. 1.25 days) but inferior thirty-day survival rate (16.5% vs. 100%). CONCLUSIONS When conservative medical modalities are ineffective, the only treatment for Amanita phalloides poisoning is a liver transplant. Although FPSA treated patients had inferior post-LT survival, FPSA was found to prolong the pre surgical waiting time for critically ill patients, consequently giving a chance of life-saving procedure.

Amanita phalloides poisoning: Mechanisms of toxicity and treatment.

Amanita phalloides, also known as 'death cap', is one of the most poisonous mushrooms, being involved in the majority of human fatal cases of mushroom poisoning worldwide. This species contains three main groups of toxins: amatoxins, phallotoxins, and virotoxins. From these, amatoxins, especially α-amanitin, are the main responsible for the toxic effects in humans. It is recognized that α-amanitin inhibits RNA polymerase II, causing protein deficit and ultimately cell death, although other mechanisms are thought to be involved. The liver is the main target organ of toxicity, but other organs are also affected, especially the kidneys. Intoxication symptoms usually appear after a latent period and may include gastrointestinal disorders followed by jaundice, seizures, and coma, culminating in death. Therapy consists in supportive measures, gastric decontamination, drug therapy and, ultimately, liver transplantation if clinical condition worsens. The discovery of an effective antidote is still a major unsolved issue. The present paper examines the clinical toxicology of A. phalloides, providing the currently available information on the mechanisms of toxicityinvolved and on the current knowledge on the treatment prescribed against this type of mushrooms. Antidotal perspectives will be raised as to set the pace to new and improved therapy against these mushrooms.

Experience of Treatments of Amanita phalloides-Induced Fulminant Liver Failure with Molecular Adsorbent Recirculating System and Therapeutic Plasma Exchange.

Ingestion of the mushroom containing Amanita phalloides can induce fulminant liver failure and death. There are no specific antidotes. Blood purifications, such as molecular adsorbent recirculating system (MARS) and therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), are potential therapies. However, the extent to which these technologies avert the deleterious effects of amatoxins remains controversial; the optimal intensity, duration, and initiation criteria have not been determined yet. This study aimed to retrospectively observe the effects of MARS and TPE on nine patients with A. phalloides-induced fulminant liver failure. The survival rate for the nine patients was 66.7%. Both TPE and MARS might remove toxins and improve liver functions. However, a single session of TPE produced immediately greater improvements in alanine aminotransferase (-60% vs. -16.3%), aspartate aminotransferase (-47.6% vs. -15.4%), and total bilirubin (-37.3% vs. -17.1%) (compared with the values of pretreatment, all p < 0.05) than MARS compared with MARS. Early intervention may be more effective than delayed therapy. Additionally, the presence of severe liver failure and renal failure indicated worse outcome. Although these findings are promising, additional case-controlled, randomized studies are required to confirm our results.

Tratamiento precoz con sistema de recirculación con adsorbentes moleculares (MARS) en dos intoxicaciones graves por setas / Early molecular adsorbent recirculating system (MARS) treatment in two severe mushroom poisonings

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[Acute intoxication in adults - what you should know]. / Akute Intoxikationen bei Erwachsenen - was Sie wissen sollten.

Ingestion of household products and plants are the leading cause for calls to the poison control centres as far as children are involved. Severe intoxication in children has become infrequent due to childproofed package and blister packs for drugs. Chemical accidents in adults give rise to hospital admission in only 5 %. Suicidal selfpoisonings are still a challenge for paramedics, emergency and hospital doctors. Natural toxins as amatoxins, cholchicine and snakebites can lead to severe intoxication. Sedatives, antidepressants and analgesics are the drugs which are often used for suicidal intent due to their availability. Quetiapine and paracetamol are the drugs which are ingested for attempted suicide/ suicide mostly. The treatment of poisoning centers on the severity which can be judged by the poison severity score, the Reed classification or the GCS.Most intoxicated patients can be treated symptomatically or by intensive care measurements. Antidotal treatment however is needed for some specific poisonings.Exact sample drawing is essential for diagnostic and forensic purposes. There is no evidence based proof for the effectiveness of primary detoxification from the gastrointestinal tract like forced emesis, gastric lavage or the use of cathartics. Early after the ingestion of a harmful substance the administration of activated charcoal seems advisable. Hemodialysis can remove water soluble substances with a small volume of distribution. Multiple charcoal administration may exhibit some influence on secondary detoxification. Provision of evidence of the efficacy for newer antidotes like hydroxocobalamin in smoke inhalation, fomepizol for toxic alcohols and silibinin for amanita poisoning are emerging. Two recently recommended therapeutic principles have still to demonstrate their ability: Firstly the treatment of patients with calcium receptor antagonistic and beta-receptor antagonistic agents poisoning by high dose of insulin plus glucose, secondly the treatment for severe intoxication with cardiotoxic and psychotropic drugs with a lipid emulsion (Lipid rescue).It is essential for all doctors to contact a poison control center whenever they are confronted with an intoxicated patient. There they can get advice about which dose is toxic and about the newest therapeutic procedure.

Toxin-induced hepatic injury.

Toxins such as pharmaceuticals, herbals, foods, and supplements may lead to hepatic damage. This damage may range from nonspecific symptoms in the setting of liver test abnormalities to acute hepatic failure. The majority of severe cases of toxin-induced hepatic injury are caused by acetaminophen and ethanol. The most important step in the patient evaluation is to gather an extensive history that includes toxin exposure and exclude common causes of liver dysfunction. Patients whose hepatic dysfunction progresses to acute liver failure may benefit from transfer to a transplant service for further management. Currently, the mainstay in management for most exposures is discontinuing the offending agent. This manuscript will review the incidence, pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of the different forms of toxin-induced hepatic injury and exam in-depth the most common hepatic toxins.