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Mushroom poisoning in children: report of an accident
C L Lee1, T L Chung, C H Chiang
1Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Municipal Min Sheng Hospital, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Abstract:
There were very few cases of mushroom poisoning every year in Taiwan and yet no fatal incident have been reported. A species named Amanita phalloides had high lethality rate (22-33%). Physicians should be aware of it's toxic property and be able to treat the patient in case of mushroom poisoning. However, mycologist sometimes might not distinguish edible from toxic mushroom so that educating people not to ingest wild mushroom is very important. We present 4 children with gastrointestinal syndrome after ingesting wild mushroom. We also introduce some basic approaches in treating mushroom poisoning in this paper.
Insights
Mushroom poisoning is rare in Taiwan, but the deadly Amanita phalloides requires medical awareness. Educating the public on avoiding wild mushrooms is crucial to prevent severe gastrointestinal issues.
Area of Science:
- Toxicology
- Mycology
- Public Health
Background:
- Mushroom poisoning incidents are infrequent in Taiwan, with no reported fatalities.
- Amanita phalloides poses a significant lethality risk (22-33%).
- Distinguishing between edible and toxic wild mushrooms can be challenging, even for experts.