ACMT Toxicology Visual Pearls – A Poke in the Belly
Which component of the pictured plant is the cause of gastrointestinal symptoms when ingested?
- Histamine
- Lectins
- Oxalates
- Ribosomal inhibiting proteins
- Saponin glycosides
Which component of the pictured plant is the cause of gastrointestinal symptoms when ingested?
A major development in curbing the opioid epidemic is the introduction of the medication buprenorphine to address opioid addiction. Being able to prescribe this medication, however, requires a special DEA-X Waiver in the United States. Dr. Alister Martin, the Founder of the Get Waivered initiative, is working to reduce the barriers for clinicians to obtain the training and paperwork necessary to obtain this waiver. Dr. Michelle Lin talks with Dr. Martin on this podcast about the backstory of the Get Waivered program, the lowered barriers to obtaining training, and some sneak peaks on what is new on the launching pad for his program.
Interesting fact: Medical students can participate in the free DEA-X waiver training now. The certificate of completion has no expiration date and can be submitted, when eligible for this waiver license.
Visit the Get Waivered site to learn of their upcoming online training events and hot off the press news.
Disclosure: ALiEM is proud to be a collaborator with the Get Waivered Initiative. This work was funded by the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE). The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the official policies or stance, either expressed or implied, of FORE. FORE is authorized to reproduce and distribute reprints for Foundation purposes notwithstanding any copyright notation hereon.
A 38-year-old male presents 8 days after being stung in the left foot while surfing. He reports the sudden onset of sharp pain while walking in the ocean. He was seen initially in the emergency department. The puncture wound on his left foot was anesthetized, explored, and irrigated. No X-ray was obtained, no foreign body was discovered, and he was discharged home.
Two days ago, he noticed worsening heat, itchiness, swelling, and skin changes (red bumps and patches extending from the foot up to the lower calf) in his left foot. His current pain is rated 3/10 and localized to the left foot. The patient is able to walk and bear weight. He has been taking ibuprofen for pain control and is not taking antibiotics. He denies fevers, but reports fatigue and feels more cold than usual.
The plant pictured is used as a tea, powder, or capsule by individuals looking to self-treat pain or opioid use disorder. Patients may develop nausea, vomiting, hallucinations, or other serious clinical effects after ingestion. What compound is contained in this plant?
This post has been peer-reviewed on behalf of ACMT by William Eggleston, Bryan Judge, and Louise Kao
A 29-year-old female presented to the emergency department for a rash on her right calf. 5 days prior, at her home in Alabama, the patient developed pain and swelling of her right calf following a spider bite while putting on her pants. The patient felt a “burning pain” and found a spider which she then killed. She went to a hospital and received cephalexin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, and oxycodone. Despite taking these medications she continued having aching pain rated 10/10 in her right calf along with generalized pruritus. The patient stated that the bite evolved from an initial generalized redness into a blue/black lesion with blistering and extensive redness along her leg and torso. She denied fever, chills, lightheadedness, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and hematuria.
Chronic exposure to which substance can cause this finding on a Cervical Spine MRI?
Which of the following rodenticides, often used to kill the rodent pictured, causes seizure-like activity without altered mental status or a postictal period?