Alternative remedies may seem safe and effective due to their natural components and lack of harsh chemicals. A new report, however, demonstrated how one woman's heart was nearly damaged due to a natural pain relief remedy.
Herbal medicines have long been used by people to treat various illnesses. For pain and fever relief, people used to take small doses of aconitine, which is derived from Aconitum plant and is also known as monkshood or "devil's helmet." Despite the recognized toxic properties of aconitine, it is being used as the main component of a Chinese drug called Fuzi, which is natural remedy made from the roots of Aconitum carmichaeli Debx.
In a recent report, the husband of a 45-year-old Chinese woman said that her wife experienced an abrupt decline in blood pressure, followed by loss of consciousness. The woman was said to have consumed approximately 50 milliliters of a liquid medicine 30 minutes prior to the incident.
The patient neither had a familial history of sudden death nor had reports of heart rhythm conditions.
Upon physical examination, the woman's heart rate was 150 beats per minute and her blood pressure was 50/30 mmHg. For comparison, the normal resting heart rate and blood pressure of adults according to the National Institute of Health is 60-100 beats per minute and 120/80 mmHg respectively.
The patient was also found to have cool, moist and cyanotic (bluish) skin.
She was diagnosed with bidirectional ventricular tachycardia (BVT) related to aconitine poisoning. BVT is an uncommon type of tachycardia that is characterized by a heart rate of more than 100 beats per minute while at rest and a distinctive pattern on electrocardiography (ECG).
As treatment, the medical team administered antiarrhythmic agents such as metoprolol, potassium chloride, amiodarone and lidocaine, but none improve the patient's condition.
Lead author of the report, Zhong Yi from Aerospace Center Hospital, Beijing, China said BVT treatment is challenging because a previous published case states that amiodarone was effective, yet this new patient did not respond to both amiodarone and lidocaine.
The doctors then performed an ultrasound of the abdomen and found that there was notable gastric retention. A gastric tube was inserted to the patient to obtain the stomach contents.
Two hours after the procedure, the patient's circulation improved and BVT stopped.
"The public should be warned of the risk of severe poisoning that can accompany traditional Chinese medicinal usage of Fuzi," advised Yi.
Dr P. Timothy Pollak from University of Calgary, Alberta commented that this case should remind people that not all natural remedies do not cause harm. He then advised clinicians to be fully aware about the substances that their patients are taking and to be ready to offer basic alternative solutions.
The study was published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology on Wednesday, Nov 18.
Photo: Leonora Enking | Flickr
