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Prognostic implications of hyperkalemia in toad toxin intoxication

Department of Emergency Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, Republic of China

Dong-Zong Hung

Department of Emergency Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, Republic of China

Wei-Hsiung Hu

Department of Emergency Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, Republic of China

Dar-Yu Yang

Department of Emergency Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, Republic of China

The toad possesses several toxic substances. Toad toxin poisoning manifests itself primarily with digitalis-like, cardioactive effects which results in bradycardia, varying degrees of atrio-ventricular block, ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation and sudden death. We report a cluster poisoning in a family who became intoxicated after ingestion of cooked toad soup for a skin problem. The youngest one (15 months old) died of refractory bradydyarrhythmias soon after arriving at our hospital. A second child (20 months old), who survived, arrived in shock with hyperkalemia (potassium 7.3 mEq/ L) and varying degrees of atrio-ventricular block. She was successfully treated with atropine, lidocaine, and cardio-version, and had a transvenous temporary pacemaker implanted for 1 day. The third boy (16 years old) had hyperkalemia (potassium 6.3 mEq/L) and bradycardia. The remaining three adults had only mild symptoms of nausea, vomiting, watery diarrhea and a sensation of numbness over their oral mucosa.

We found that the level of serum potassium had prognostic implications in toad intoxication. Determination of serum potassium level is readily available in almost every hospital and is therefore more convenient to measure than serum digoxin level. We conclude that if hyperkalemia develops, the treatment of toad intoxication must be more aggressive to prevent mortality.

Key Words: toad intoxication • digitalis-like • hyperkalemia

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