On the current episode of the podcast ToxTalk, there is an interesting discussion about the kerfuffle caused by the Dr. Oz show claiming that potentially harmful amounts of arsenic are found in a large percentage of commercial apple juice products. (For TPR‘s coverage of this issue, click here and here). Similarly alarmist stories released by Consumer Reports…
Toxicity of Energy Drinks. Wolk BJ et al. Curr Opin Pediatr 2012 Apr;24:243-251.
The market for energy drinks in the United States has grown rapidly, with nearly 6 billion units consumed in 2010 — more than double the amount 5 years before. The primary active and potentially toxic ingredient in these products is caffeine, but other components such as …
There has been increasing speculation that Robert Bales, the Army Staff Sergeant charged with killing 17 Afghan civilians in Kandahar Province on March 11, 2012, may have been suffering from well-known neuropsychiatric effects of the anti-malaria drug mefloquine (Lariam).
Mefloquine had been widely used for malaria prophylaxis since its long half-life — 13-30 days — meant that it only …
Clinical Presentation of Intoxication Due to Synthetic Cannabinoids. Cohen J et al. Pediatrics 2012 March 19 [Epub ahead of print]
This paper, from the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington D.C., presents three cases of teenagers who presented after smoking synthetic cannabinoid products labeled as either “Spice” or “K2″. Unfortunately, since there was no laboratory confirmation of what these …
Anyone who follows the Emergency Medicine blogosphere will want to check out this absolutely hilarious video posted on Life in the Fast Lane.
BTW, we here in Chicago are eagerly looking forward to Scott Weingart’s visit this week. He will be giving Grand Rounds at both Stroger Hospital and Northwestern.…
MSNBC reported Tuesday on the “legal high” kratom, which is being associated with increasing numbers of emergency department visits in certain areas of the country. Unfortunately, scientific literature about the effects and toxicity of kratom is sparse.
Kratom is a psychoactive leaf from the southeast asian tree Mitragyna speciosa (picture). This tree is related to the plants that produce coffee. …
Poisoning and suicide by cyanide jewelry cleaner in the US Hmong community: A case series. Garlich FM et al. Clin Toxicol 2012;50:136-140.
There are a quarter million ethnic Hmong now living in the United States. Originally for Southeast Asia — especially Laos — this population lives largely in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and California. This article describes 8 cases — including …
Hyperthermia and Multiorgan Failure After Abuse of “Bath Salts” Containing 3,4-Methylenedioxypyrovalerone. Borek HA, Holstege CP. Ann Emerg Med 2012 Mar 2 [Epub ahead of print]
This case report, from the University of Virginia School of Medicine, describes a 25-year-old man who presented to the emergency department with agitation and altered mental status after injecting a “bath salt” …
Fruit fly
In a front page article yesterday, the New York Times reported on a study showing that horny male fruit flies (genus Drosophila), whose advances have been rejected by nubile females, turn to drink.
Scientists at UC-San Francisco allowed one set of male Drosophila to get lucky with available — and willing — virgin fruit flies. A second …
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