Surgical treatment for Abrus precatorius poisoning case

Background

The seeds of Abrus precatorius are highly poisonous with no antidote available and are often consumed as a means of suicide. To date, there are no clear treatment strategies for Abrus poisoning induced by ingestion.

Case report

Here, we report a case in which a large number of Abrus precatorius seeds was successfully removed using gastrointestinal surgery to rescue the patient.

Why should an emergency physician be aware of this?

Abrus precatorius, as a rare but important cause of plant poisoning, is usually being unrecognized even by emergency physicians in China because of its scarce documentation in the Chinese medical literature. In managing such instances of intoxication, conventional gastric emptying techniques prove insufficient to effectively address the toxicity. Through this report, we hope to raise public awareness regarding this highly toxic plant. We also aim to offer a treatment reference for clinicians encountering similar situations.