Digitalis poisoning: Historical and forensic aspects

Two Cases of Digitalis Poisoning.

[Bidirectional ventricular tachycardia due to digitalis poisoning].

Digitalis intoxication is a frequent outcome of chronic treatment with digitalis glycosides but uncommon following accidental intake or self-poisoning.1 Ventricular arrhythmias are an expression of this complication and can usually be controlled thru conventional means including suspension of the drug. However, in the presence of potentially lethal arrhythmias and kidney failure difficult decis...

Digitalis poisoning in a case of hyperthyroidism.

the pericardial cavity completely. The cutoff indicated basal penicardial adhesions in addition to effusion;4 angulation of the penicardial sac also indicated further pericardial scarring, and the reduced capacity of the pericardial cavity suggested the presence of constriction.1 Moreover, the presence of basal adhesions was misleading etiologically because they have been considered characteris...

Ricin poisoning and forensic toxicology.

Ricin is one of the most fascinating poisons due to its high toxicity: as little as 500 microg can kill an adult. It gained fame by its use in the so-called 'umbrella murder' to kill the Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov in 1978. Ricin also became known as a potential bio-terror agent to which people could be exposed through the air, food, or water. The origin, biochemistry, toxicity, and analy...

Endogenous digitalis-like factors. An historical overview.

The sodium pump is a ubiquitous cell surface enzyme, a Na/K-ATPase, that maintains ion gradients between cells and the extracellular fluid. The extracellular domain of this enzyme contains a highly conserved receptor for a plant-derived family of compounds, the digitalis glycosides, used in the treatment of congestive heart failure, and certain cardiac arrhythmias. The concept that an endogenou...