NEW DELHI: A seven-year-old boy from Madhya Pradesh who consumed seeds that release a toxin akin to a viper’s venom, has been rescued at a Delhi hospital, doctors said on Tuesday. His five-year-old brother, too, had ingested the seeds, but he developed seizures, went into a coma and died within 24 hours, they said. Doctors at the department of paediatric emergency and critical care in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital had admitted the boy from Bhind district in critical condition on October 31, the hospital said in a statement.
Earlier on October 31, the Department of Paediatric Emergency & Critical Care at a hospital in Delhi received a child in critical condition from Madhya Pradesh’s Bhind. At the time of arrival in the emergency section, the child was showing symptoms of poisoning including bloody diarrhoea, swelling in the brain and shock.
“When we received the child, I was surprised to find that he was poisoned by a poison called abrin, which is released by seeds of a plant called Abrus Precatorius, also known as Ratti or Gunchi, in India”, Dr Dhiren Gupta, senior consultant, department of paediatric emergency and critical care, said.
This particular toxin is as fatal as snake venom and has a high death rate if not treated on time, he said. “The child was unconscious, irritable, suffering from encephalopathy (swelling in the brain) and unstable vitals (high pulse rate with shock). The challenge before us was that he was presented to us after 24 hours of ingestion and we lost the golden hour and unavailability of definitive antidote,” the statement said.
In these kinds of poisoning, the ideal treatment is a complete cleaning of the stomach within hours of ingestion and charcoal therapy, Dr Gupta said. The types of supportive medical care depend on several factors, such as the route by which the victim was poisoned (that is, whether the poisoning was by breathing in, swallowing, skin or eye exposure).
Abrin is similar to the venom of a viper snake. It causes illness by entering body cells and preventing them from making the protein they need. Without the protein, the cells die, eventually harming the entire body and causing death, the statement said. The boy arrived at the hospital for a follow-up checkup on Tuesday. “We did the same and the child was saved Fortunately, RK was brought to the hospital on time and saved by the doctors,” the doctor said.
What are gunchi seeds and why are they harmful?
Popularly known as Gunja in Hindi, the seeds can be the most toxic herbal plant because of the presence of Arbin toxins present in the plant seeds. It releases a toxin that is similar to a viper’s venom that can kill when consumed. Gunja occurs in two forms, one with white seeds and one with red seeds. Purified versions of these work well for treating painful arthritis and hairfall. It is also considered a potent aphrodisiac.