Cardiac findings in acute yellow oleander poisoning.

BACKGROUND

#ENTITYSTARTX02014; The Yellow Oleander is an ornamental tree that is common throughout the tropics. Ingestion of its seeds results in a clinical picture similar to digoxin toxicity.

OBJECTIVE

#ENTITYSTARTX02014; The aim of this study was to evaluate cardiac findings in acute Yellow Oleander poisoning.

METHODS

#ENTITYSTARTX02014; A total of 21 patients with history of Yellow Oleander ingestion were enrolled in this study.

RESULTS

#ENTITYSTARTX02014; All symptomatic patients had conduction defects affecting the sinus node, theatrio-ventricular node or both. Patients showing cardiac arrhythmias that required specific management had significantly higher serum potassium concentrations.

CONCLUSIONS

#ENTITYSTARTX02014; Most of the symptomatic patients had conduction defects affecting sinus or atrio-ventricular nodes but few had atrial or ventricular arrhythmias typical of digoxin poisoning.