Horseshoe Crab Poisoning: Report of Four Cases and the Results of Treatment with Thunbergia laurifolia
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2010-09-02
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Department for Development of Thai and Alternative Medicine
Abstract
Poisoning was reported in patients of the same family group after they had eaten tetrodotoxin-contaminated horseshoe crab eggs. The severity of the symptoms varied depending on the amount of toxic eggs consumed. The onset of the first symptoms varied from 40 minutes to 4 hours. All four patients experienced numbness around the mouth, nausea and vomiting. In the severe cases, the numbness spread to all muscles and difficulty in breathing occurred. Two patients went into coma and required endotracheal tubation with mechanical ventilation. As there is no specific antidote for tetrodotoxin, all patients were given symptomatic and supportive treatment while the toxin was excreted in the urine. Nine hours after going into a coma, the patients were given rang cherd (Thunbergia laurifolia Lindl.) leaf juice. Forty minutes after the administration of the herbal medicine, the patients regained consciousness and gradually recovered. Clinical manifestations of horseshoe crab poisoning, toxicity of the horseshoe crab and the effect of rang cherd in these patients were discussed.
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Journal of Traditional Thai \& Alternative Medicine; Vo. 7 No. 1 January-April 2009; 84-88