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Intoxication with Taxus Baccata: Cardiac Arrhythmias Following Yew Leaves Ingestion
Author(s) -
WILLAERT WILLEM,
CLAESSENS PHILIP,
VANKELECOM BART,
VANDERHEYDEN MARC
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
pacing and clinical electrophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.686
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1540-8159
pISSN - 0147-8389
DOI - 10.1046/j.1460-9592.2002.00511.x
Subject(s) - taxus , medicine , ingestion , traditional medicine , botany , biology
WILLAERT, W., et al. : Intoxication with Taxus Baccata: Cardiac Arrhythmias Following Yew Leaves In‐gestion. The use of yew leaves (Taxus Baccata) as a means of deliberate self‐harm is infrequent. The potent effect of the toxin is primarily cardiac and results in rhythm alterations and ultimately ventricular fibrillation. As there is no known antidote, and classic antiarrhythmic therapy proves to be ineffective, a prompt diagnosis is of great importance as immediate supportive action is the only valuable alternative. This case describes a 43‐year‐old women who attempted suicide by ingesting the leaves of Taxus Baccata. We discuss the effects and the difficulty of treatment associated with yew leaf poisoning.