Datura intoxication in Riyadh

Cases of stramonium poisoning due to deliberate abuse by young adults have been widely reported. There are also a few reports of accidental poisoning in children from contaminated food. The taste and shape of Datura stramonium makes it unattractive to both man and animals and, therefore, ingestion by children in ignorance of its toxicity is rare. Three such cases are described in this paper. In Saudi Arabia stramonium abuse is unheard of and poisoning of children as a result of food contamination is very unlikely. Cases of ingestion in ignorance are, however, likely to occur frequently since D. stramonium grows in many parts of the country. The doses taken under the circumstances, though toxic, were small. The patients, therefore, suffered mainly the peripheral signs of the anti-cholinergic action of atropine, the principal D. stramonium alkaloid. Central nervous system manifestations and toxic psychosis were minimal in contrast to intentional misuse or accidental poisoning. Due to the special susceptibility of children to atropine toxicity and the relatively small lethal dose (⩽10 mg), treatment with the specific antidote, physostigmine salicylate, is emphasized for all but the mildest cases, in addition to any symptomatic treatment that might be needed. © 1984 Oxford University Press.