Fatal overdose ofTaxus baccataplant matter treated in a rural district general hospital

Abstract

A 25-year-old woman presented with cardiogenic shock following intentional overdose of Common Yew (Taxus baccata). The pharmacological mechanisms underlying yew toxicity resulted in failure of multiple treatment modalities including inotropes, vasopressors and attempted pacing. Resuscitation was ultimately unsuccessful. The limited literature available on this kind of overdose suggests that early extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is the mainstay of treatment in severe cases presenting with hypotension and arrhythmias. However, there may be a role for digoxin antibody fragments in maintaining patients presenting to remote sites, to allow transfer to a specialist centre.