Mushroom poisoning

The majority of cases of mushroom poisoning occur in children and involve benign gastrointestinal irritants. Critical poisonings most frequently occur in adults who ingest Amanita phalloides or other mushrooms containing amanitin. Critical versus noncritical poisonings can be diagnosed with a high degree of confidence by the patient's history and initial symptoms. The most promising new medical treatment for Amanita mushroom poisoning is silibinin. In suspected cases of mushroom poisoning, it is important to obtain specimens of the ingested mushrooms, if possible, since treatment is specific to the species.