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Related Experiment Videos

Plant nurseries: a reliable resource for plant identification?

E S Rondeau1, G W Everson, W Savage

  • 1Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, Regional Poison Center, San Jose, CA 95128.

Veterinary and Human Toxicology
|December 1, 1992
PubMed
Summary

Local plant nurseries often misidentify plants in poisoning cases, leading to undertreatment. This study highlights the unreliability of nurseries as a primary resource for plant identification in poison center exposures.

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Area of Science:

  • Toxicology
  • Botany
  • Emergency Medicine

Background:

  • Poison Centers often depend on local plant nurseries for identifying unknown plant species in exposure cases.
  • The accuracy and reliability of nursery-based plant identification have not been previously evaluated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the reliability and accuracy of plant identification provided by local nurseries for unknown plant exposures.
  • To determine the impact of nursery misidentifications on patient treatment protocols.

Main Methods:

  • A study involved callers bringing plant samples to local nurseries for visual identification.
  • Plant specimens were subsequently sent to a botanist for a blinded, secondary identification.
  • Data was collected from 68 cases meeting study criteria.

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Main Results:

  • Plant nurseries provided unreliable identifications in 58% of the evaluated cases.
  • Incorrect identifications by nurseries led to undertreatment in 24% of the exposures.
  • Botanical confirmation revealed significant discrepancies in nursery-identified plant species.

Conclusions:

  • Local plant nurseries are an unreliable primary resource for plant identification in Poison Center cases.
  • Misidentification by nurseries can result in inadequate patient treatment, posing a risk of undertreatment.
  • Enhanced verification methods are crucial for accurate plant identification in toxicological exposures.