Red Poppy (Papaver Rhoeas) Poisoning: A Report of Three Cases

Abstract

Red poppy (RP) is a plant that can be widely found in our country. It is known as a medicinal plant among the people. Three cases in which central nervous system (CNS) symptoms developed after eating RP have been presented. Case 1: A 29-year-old female patient was admitted to our clinic with complaints of nausea, vomiting, and convulsions after approximately 1.5-2 h of eating RP. She was apathetic and non-cooperative, and the vital findings were in normal ranges. Pin-point pupils were noted. The patient had tonic seizure once. Case 2: A 9-year-old female patient, daughter of case 1, was brought with her mother with complaints of spasm of the jaw, altered mental status, and convulsion. Agitations started 1 h later after admission. She experienced a generalized tonic-clonic seizure that continued for 5 min. Case 3: A 70-year-old female patient was brought to our clinic with mental status changes 1 hour after she had ingested RP. She was lethargic, disoriented, non-cooperative, and the pupils were miotic. An unconscious consumption of weasel grass causes negative effects, particularly effects on CNS. Because generalized seizure was only observed in the child, it was suggested that children experience more effects. The mental status of these patients was restored within approximately 6 h, and they were discharged. Mortality or morbidity was not observed in these cases. Nevertheless, this does not indicate that it would not cause worse clinical results. To prevent the ignorant consumption of RP and similar weeds, educational and informational activities must be conducted at the public level.