Premium
Adverse reaction to a Chinese herbal remedy
Author(s) -
Gorey John D,
Wahlqvist Mark L,
Boyce Neil W
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1992.tb137315.x
Subject(s) - medicine , coagulopathy , ingestion , atrial fibrillation , traditional medicine , traditional chinese medicine , adverse effect , intensive care medicine , surgery , alternative medicine , pathology
Objective To report a multisystem illness in a patient after ingestion of Chinese herbal medicines, together with an analysis of the herbal medicine and to alert physicians to the growing clinical importance of adverse reactions to herbal remedies. Clinical features A 61‐year‐old Chinese Vietnamese man with a history of atrial fibrillation and left cerebral hemisphere infarction three months previously presented after a three‐day illness with acute hepatorenal failure, multiple pulmonary emboli, peripheral arterial thromboembolism and laboratory features of consumptive coagulopathy. For three days before presentation, he drank a daily infusion of herbal medicine. Intervention Intensive supportive medical care including haemodiafiltration resulted in recovery of renal function, liver function and return of coagulation parameters to normal over a one‐month period. Toxicological analysis of an infusion prepared from a sample of the patient's herbal medicine revealed the potentially toxic compounds benzaldehyde, cinnamoyl alcohol and ephedrine. Conclusion The ingestion of herbal medicine caused or contributed to the patient's illness.