Strychnine poisoning

Strychnine poisoning refers to the toxic effects caused by the ingestion or exposure to strychnine, a highly toxic alkaloid found in certain plants. The condition is characterized by a range of symptoms, including heightened attention, anxiety, muscle spasms, and convulsions, which are the principal manifestation of acute strychnine poisoning. To diagnose strychnine poisoning, serum and urine toxicology studies are typically performed in most cases.From: Dreisbach’s HANDBOOK of POISONING [2001], Poisons [2017], Hankey's Clinical Neurology [2020]

Strychnine

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Published in David J. George, Poisons, 2017

David J. George

Initial symptoms of strychnine poisoning may include heightened attention and anxiety, and muscle spasms. This may progress to painful generalized convulsions. Typically there is facial grimacing resembling a frozen mask-like grin (risus sardonicus) and a rigid arched back (opisthotonus) with only the back of the head and heels of feet touching a supporting flat surface. Poisoning victims remain fully conscious while experiencing painful convulsing episodes. Death results from asphyxia due to sustained contracture of respiratory muscles.

Strychnine, old still actual poison: description of poisoning cases reported to French Poison Control Centers over the past thirteen years

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Published in Toxin Reviews, 2022

Camille Paradis, Denis Dondia, Audrey Nardon, Ingrid Blanc-Brisset, Arnaud Courtois, Jules-Antoine Vaucel, Magali Labadie

Regarding clinical description, the frequency of symptoms we reported was similar to those observed in the former cases series. Indeed, our results were close to François et al. (François et al.1996), who described a frequency of 29% of convulsions (21% in our study), 27% of myoclonus (25% in our study), 21% of cardiac arrest (20% in our study), and 19% of rhabdomyolysis (14% in our study). The comparison of those results confirmed that clinical signs of strychnine poisoning are identical to those reported previously in the literature and that some unusual clinical signs did not occur.

Strychnine poisoning

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Strychnine

Strychnine, old still actual poison: description of poisoning cases reported to French Poison Control Centers over the past thirteen years