American Journal of Emergency Medicine
Volume 13, Issue 2 , Pages 172-173, March 1995

Strychnine poisoning: Natural course of a nonfatal case☆

  • Tomoki Nishiyama, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress reprint requests to Dr Nishiyama, 2-17-11-203, Shakujii-machi, Nerima-ku, Tokyo, 177 Japan.
    • ,
  • Masaki Nagase, MD, PhD

From the Department of Anesthesiology, JR Tokyo General Hospital, Japan

Received 3 February 1994; accepted 14 July 1994.

Abstract 

A rare case of suicidal strychnine poisoning that resolved naturally without treatment is presented. The patient first complained of chest pain, which was originally thought to be caused by a dissecting aneurysm; however, nystagmus, dysesthesia, spastic paraplesia, and hyperreactivity to stimuli shortly developed. Diagnosis was difficult because the patient did not disclose the drinking of strychnine or the suicidal intent, and no abnormal signs were seen in the various central nervous system examinations. The natural course was observed without treatment because the patient's circulatory and respiratory condition was good. Movement disturbances in the upper extremities disappeared after 2 days, nystagmus in 3 days, and dysesthesia and spastic paraplesia in 4 days. The patient was able to stand on the fourth day and walk on the seventh. He was discharged on day 10 without any detectable ill effects.

Keywords:  Suicide, poison, strychnine

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☆ Presented at the 20th meeting of the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine, Morioka, Japan, October 30, 1992.

PII: 0735-6757(95)90087-X

American Journal of Emergency Medicine
Volume 13, Issue 2 , Pages 172-173, March 1995

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