Abrus precatorius poisoning: A retrospective study of 112 patients

Brief Communication IntroductIonAbrus precatorius (known as kundumani in Tamil) is a poisonous plant which contains one of the most lethal toxin, Abrin, a toxalbumin that inhibits protein synthesis causing cell death.[1,2] The seeds are crushed and taken orally for suicidal purpose.Most of the patients are from rural areas since this plant is predominantly seen in villages.There is no antidote for this poisoning.Clinical features commonly include nausea, severe vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and gastrointestinal bleeding.[3,4] Diarrhea can occur after 3-4 days of ingestion [5] and can be profuse.This can cause death due to severe volume loss.Other uncommon features include encephalopathy, arrhythmias, and renal failure due to volume depletion.[5,6]