scholarly journals Strychnine poisoning due to traditional Chinese medicine: a case series

F1000Research ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 924
Author(s):  
Hok-Fung Tong ◽  
Candace Yim Chan ◽  
Sau-Wah Ng ◽  
Tony Wing-Lai Mak
Keyword(s):  
Chinese Medicine ◽  
Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽  
Clinical Features ◽  
Drugs Of Abuse ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
Reference Laboratory ◽  
History Of ◽  
Different Origins ◽  
Different Parts

Background: Strychnine poisoning is rare but possibly fatal. The most reported sources of strychnine poisoning include rodenticides and adulterated street heroin. Here we report a case series of an unusual cause of strychnine poisoning – Strychni semen, a herb known as “maqianzi” in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Methods: All cases of strychnine poisoning confirmed by the Hospital Authority Toxicology Reference Laboratory (HATRL, the highest-level clinical toxicology laboratory in Hong Kong) between May 2005 and May 2018 were reviewed. Results: Twelve cases of strychnine poisoning were recorded, and Strychni semen was the exclusive source. Ten (83%) patients presented with muscle spasms, and four (33%) developed typical conscious convulsions. The poisoning was severe in two (17%) patients, moderate in three (25%) and mild in eight (58%). No case fatality was recorded. Three (25%) patients were TCM practitioners and two (17%) were laymen who bought the herb themselves without a proper prescription. Conclusion: The practice of TCM is becoming popular in different parts of the world amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The spectrum of clinical features of strychnine poisoning secondary to Strychni semen are similar to those arising from different origins. Eliciting a history of TCM use, apart from exposure to rodenticides and drugs of abuse, may allow timely diagnosis in patients with compatible clinical features. Enhancement of TCM safety could minimize the hazard.

scholarly journals Strychnine poisoning due to traditional Chinese medicine: a case series

F1000Research ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 924
Author(s):  
Hok-Fung Tong ◽  
Candace Yim Chan ◽  
Sau-Wah Ng ◽  
Tony Wing-Lai Mak
Keyword(s):  
Chinese Medicine ◽  
Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽  
Clinical Features ◽  
Drugs Of Abuse ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
Reference Laboratory ◽  
History Of ◽  
Different Origins ◽  
Different Parts

Background: Strychnine poisoning is rare but possibly fatal. The most reported sources of strychnine poisoning include rodenticides and adulterated street heroin. Here we report a case series of an unusual cause of strychnine poisoning – Strychni semen, a herb known as “maqianzi” in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Methods: All cases of strychnine poisoning confirmed by the Hospital Authority Toxicology Reference Laboratory (HATRL, the highest-level clinical toxicology laboratory in Hong Kong) between May 2005 and May 2018 were reviewed. Results: Twelve cases of strychnine poisoning were recorded, and Strychni semen was the exclusive source. Ten (83.3%) patients presented with muscle spasms, and four (33.3%) developed typical conscious convulsions. The poisoning was severe in two (16.7%) patients, moderate in three (25%) and mild in eight (58.3%). No case fatality was recorded. Three (25%) patients were TCM practitioners and two (16.7%) were laymen who bought the herb themselves without a proper prescription. Conclusion: The practice of TCM is becoming popular in different parts of the world amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The spectrum of clinical features of strychnine poisoning secondary to Strychni semen are similar to those arising from different origins. Eliciting a history of TCM use, apart from exposure to rodenticides and drugs of abuse, may allow timely diagnosis in patients with compatible clinical features. Enhancement of TCM safety could minimize the hazard.

Gag Reflex Control through Acupuncture: A Case Series

2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppa Bilello ◽  
Antonella Fregapane
Keyword(s):  
Chinese Medicine ◽  
Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽  
Visual Analogue Scale ◽  
Analogue Scale ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
History Of ◽  
Gag Reflex ◽  
Reflex Control ◽  
Dental Appointments

Background Many patients avoid dental appointments because of severe gagging when they have work performed, such as taking impressions. There are several methods known to alleviate gagging, and some studies have suggested that acupuncture may be effective in reducing gag reflex. The aim of the present study therefore was to evaluate whether acupuncture can produce a reduction of the gag reflex. Methods A total of 20 patients, aged between 19 and 80 years, with history of gag reflex on taking dental impressions, were recruited. All patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria had an upper and lower dental alginate impression taken without acupuncture, and a second upper and lower alginate impression taken immediately after acupuncture based on traditional Chinese medicine. After each impression, the patients recorded their emetic sensation using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Results The results showed a significant (p<0.05) reduction in the gag reflex scores after acupuncture. For upper impressions, they fell from 6.8 (1.1) to 1.1 (1.1); and for lower impressions, from 5.45 (1.0) to 0.4 (0.7) (mean (SD)). Conclusions The findings from our study suggest that acupuncture may be useful for preventing and treating gag reflex, and justifies further study.

scholarly journals Homeopathic Clinical Features of 18 Patients in COVID-19 Outbreaks in Hong Kong

Homeopathy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 109 (03) ◽  
pp. 146-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ka Lun Aaron To ◽  
Yuen Ying Yvonne Fok
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Chinese Medicine ◽  
Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽  
Clinical Features ◽  
Conventional Treatment ◽  
Symptomatic Relief ◽  
Case Series ◽  
The Common ◽  
Gelsemium Sempervirens

Abstract Background Hong Kong is geographically located in the province of Guangdong which, after Hubei, has been the region of China second-most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Compared to the pathognomonic symptoms of the named disease, homeopathic symptoms are always more helpful for homeopathic prescriptions. Aim This study reports and summarizes the homeopathic symptoms observed in 18 confirmed/suspected epidemiologically related cases in cluster outbreaks of COVID-19 in Hong Kong in early 2020. Methods Homeopathic symptoms from this case series were collected from 18 consecutive patients who, in addition to their concurrent conventional treatment or traditional Chinese medicine, actively sought help from homeopathy as an adjunctive measure for symptomatic relief from COVID-19. Cases were categorized according to outbreak clusters, focusing mainly on the homeopathic symptoms. In the analysis, frequency of all homeopathic medicines, common rubrics in all the cases, common rubrics in each of the top-ranked remedies, and differentiating symptoms for each top-ranked remedy were determined. Results Homeopathic symptoms of 18 cases, each identified as mild and belonging to one of six separate clusters, are reported. Eighteen common symptoms screened out of 79 selected rubrics constituted two sets of homeopathic symptom pictures: Bryonia alba (n = 4) and Gelsemium sempervirens (n = 12). Eight and seven differentiating features, respectively, were identified for Bryonia alba and Gelsemium sempervirens. Conclusion The common symptoms of 18 mild COVID-19 cases constituted two sets of homeopathic symptom pictures, indicating Bryonia alba or Gelsemium sempervirens; they were indicated in 4 and 12 cases, respectively, out of the 18 in total.

scholarly journals Composition of “gold juice” using an ancient method based on intestinal microecology

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (9) ◽  
pp. 030006052093128
Author(s):  
Qiuwei Li ◽  
Liying Guo ◽  
Li Wang ◽  
Jing Miao ◽  
Huantian Cui ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chinese Medicine ◽  
Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽  
Fecal Microbiota Transplantation ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Fecal Microbiota ◽  
Healthy Children ◽  
Fecal Samples ◽  
16S Rdna Sequence Analysis ◽  
History Of ◽  
Chinese Medicine Treatment

Objective To identify potentially effective bacterial components of gold juice, a traditional Chinese medicine treatment used for fecal microbiota transplantation. Methods Fecal samples were collected from five healthy children (two boys and three girls; mean age, 7.52 ± 2.31 years). The children had no history of antibiotic use or intestinal microecological preparation in the preceding 3 months. Fresh fecal samples were collected from children to prepare gold juice in mid-to-late November, in accordance with traditional Chinese medicine methods, then used within 7 days. Finally, 16S rDNA sequence analysis was used to identify potentially effective bacterial components of gold juice. QIIME software was used for comparisons of microbial species among gold juice, diluent, filtrate, and loess samples. Results Microflora of gold juice exhibited considerable changes following “ancient method” processing. Microbial components significantly differed between gold juice and filtrate samples. The gold juice analyzed in our study consisted of microbes that synthesize carbohydrates and amino acids by degrading substances, whereas the filtrate contained probiotic flora, Bacteroides, and Prevotella 9. Conclusions This study of microbial components in gold juice and filtrate provided evidence regarding effective bacterial components in gold juice, which may aid in clinical decisions concerning fecal microbiota transplantation.

scholarly journals From Prejudice to Evidence: The Case of Rhizoma Coptidis in Singapore

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chin Ee Ho ◽  
You Li Goh ◽  
Chang Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Chinese Medicine ◽  
Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽  
G6pd Deficiency ◽  
Neonatal Jaundice ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Rhizoma Coptidis ◽  
History Of ◽  
Hepatoprotective Effects ◽  
Glucose 6 Phosphate Dehydrogenase

Rhizoma Coptidis (RC), commonly known ashuanglian, is a herb frequently used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) prescriptions. Known to have “clearing damp-heat, quenching fire and counteracting poison” properties, it was widely used in the Chinese community in Singapore. Berberine, an alkaloid isolated from RC, is known to have a wide array of therapeutic effects including antimicrobial, antineoplastic, and hepatoprotective effects. In 1978, RC was implicated in causing neonatal jaundice (NNJ) and kernicterus in neonates suffering from glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, leading to the banning of RC and berberine in Singapore. More than three decades later, accumulating evidence-based studies pointing to the safety of RC for general public and better understanding of G6PD deficiency, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) in Singapore reviewed and lifted the prohibition on RC and berberine, turning a brand new chapter in the history of TCM in Singapore. This paper aims to review the safety of RC and berberine, using the prohibition of use and subsequent lifting of ban on RC and berberine in Singapore as an illustration to highlight the importance of evidence-based studies in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

Travel and Transformation

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Bo Hu
Keyword(s):  
Chinese Medicine ◽  
Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽  
Medical History ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Nation Building ◽  
Journal Articles ◽  
History Of

Few concepts in the medical history of China have been more entangled with modernization and nation-building than weisheng. Originally a concept inextricably bound up with traditional Chinese medicine, it underwent drastic changes and became a near equivalent of modern hygiene. Drawing on the notion of traveling concepts, this article traces the travel and transformation it experienced in journal articles between 1880 and 1930, focusing on how the new concept gradually took shape and became established in public discourse, the enabling and resisting agents, as well as their agendas.

Ulcers Related to Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Case Series and Review of the Literature

2009 ◽  
Vol 145 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynn H. Y. Teo ◽  
Mark B. Y. Tang ◽  
Audrey Wei-Hsia Tan ◽  
Hiok-Hee Tan ◽  
See-Ket Ng
Keyword(s):  
Chinese Medicine ◽  
Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Review Of The Literature

scholarly journals Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos: A Systematic Pharmacology Review

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yujie Li ◽  
Weiyan Cai ◽  
Xiaogang Weng ◽  
Qi Li ◽  
Yajie Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Chinese Medicine ◽  
Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽  
Traditional Medicine ◽  
Pharmacological Study ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Academic Journals ◽  
Clinical Safety ◽  
History Of ◽  
Pharmacology And Toxicology

Lonicerae japonicae flos, a widely used traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has been used for several thousand years in China.Chinese Pharmacopeiaonce included Lonicerae japonicae flos of Caprifoliaceae family and plants of the same species named Lonicerae flos in general in the same group.Chinese Pharmacopeia(2005 Edition) lists Lonicerae japonicae flos and Lonicerae flos under different categories, although they have the similar history of efficacy. In this study, we research ancient books of TCM, 4 main databases of Chinese academic journals, and MEDLINE/PubMed to verify the origins and effects of Lonicerae japonicae flos and Lonicerae flos in traditional medicine and systematically summarized the research data in light of modern pharmacology and toxicology. Our results show that Lonicerae japonicae flos and Lonicerae flos are similar pharmacologically, but they also differ significantly in certain aspects. A comprehensive systematic review and a standard comparative pharmacological study of Lonicerae japonicae flos and Lonicerae flos as well as other species of Lonicerae flos support their clinical safety and application. Our study provides evidence supporting separate listing of Lonicerae japonicae flos and Lonicerae flos inChinese Pharmacopeiaas well as references for revision of relevant pharmacopeial records dealing with traditional efficacy of Lonicerae japonicae flos and Lonicerae flos.

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