Mushroom Poisoning: Signs and Symptoms

My adopted Mom rushed herself to the hospital because of Chicken of the Woods mushroom, which is edible, but to her it was more of an allergic reaction. The mushroom, which contained a lot of sulfur of bright orange color, produced hives and swelling around her mouth and facial area, that could be more serious if left untreated. She was given a drug to decrease the sulfuric level within her body alleviating the symptoms and speeding up her recovery. When asked whether she would try the mushroom again, she did not hesitate in saying, "No. Never again will I try the mushrooms of the wilds. I will stick to store bought kinds." Clearly, her unpleasant experience traumatized her.

Never the less the symptoms of mushroom poisoning include the feeling of sickness, stomach aches, vomiting, and serious signs such as watery and bloody diarrhea. Because a child immune system is less developed and their body mass is smaller, the symptoms show up earlier, right after they eat the poison. The next step is to call the physician or poison control center for emergency treatment. Collect the suspected mushroom or mushroom as a whole for identification. It is advised that ipecac, a drug that induces vomiting, be given after fluid, like water or clear juice, if the child has not vomited and is still conscious. One teaspoon for the infant, 1 tablespoon for children between 1 and 12 years of age, and 2 tablespoon for children older than 12. Repeat the dose if a child has not emptied his or her stomach. Watch for other symptoms within the 24-hour period since the ingestion of the poison. There is also documentation stating that the use of ipecac be conservative and must not be given to an infant under 6 months.

Because of delayed symptoms with Amatoxin poisoning, it is priority that signs of hepatic or central nervous system dysfunction be evaluated for lab studies and other tests. However, because "mushroom is not radiopaque, it will not be seen on abdominal radiographs". Drugs used when treating young children: "activated charcoal_1-2 g/kg (15-30 g); repeat 0.5-1 g/kg q2-4h. Penicillin is used for gastric upset in infants. Treatment for A. phalloides is a combination of fluid replacement and "correction of electrolyte disturbances", as well as hemodialysis and hemoperfusion in place of kidney failure. These processes are used for cleaning of the toxins, that must be administered within the 24-hour period of ingestion to be effective. Liver transplantation is another successful treatment after liver failure. Some treatments often used did not succeed because they have not been confirmed as effective; they are penicillin, cimetidine, silibinin, or N-acetylcysteine.

Sources:

Magazine_MMWR Weekly, June 1997
http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic818.htm
Mushroom Poisoning Case Registry, 1999