Colchicine Intoxication: A Case Report

Abstract

Colchicine is produced from the essence of the lily plant that has been cured for many sicknesses such as familial Mediterranean fever, recurrent pericarditis, gout since it has anti-inflammatory properties. This anti-inflammatory drug’s acute intoxication has a high mortality rate and is a critical clinic to follow but not very common. The intoxication severity and mortality are directly depending on the ingested dose. However, although its treatment is principally symptomatic, if left untreated, it is a clinical effect that can be fatal depending on the dose taken directly. In our case, we aimed to present the patient hospitalized in the intensive care unit due to 30 tablets of colchicine intaken and finally was discharged in good health.

Keywords

• colchicine
• , poisoning
• , overdose
• electrolyte imbalance

References

1. Murray SS, Kramlinger KG, McMichan JC, Mohr DN. Acute toxicity after excessive ingestion of colchicine. Mayo Clin Proc. 1983 Aug;58(8):528-32.
2. Baud FJ, Sabouraud A, Vicaut E, Taboulet P, Lang J, Bismuth C, Rouzioux JM, Scherrmann JM. Brief report: treatment of severe colchicine overdose with colchicine-specific Fab fragments. N Engl J Med. 1995 Mar 9;332(10):642-5. doi: 10.1056/ NEJM199503093321004.
3. Weakley-Jones B, Gerber JE, Biggs G. Colchicine poisoning: Case report of two homicides. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2001 Jun;22(2):203-6. doi: 10.1097/00000433-200106000-00020.
4. Simons RJ, Kingma DW. Fatal colchicine toxicity. Am J Med. 1989 Mar;86(3):356-7. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(89)90315-x.