Severe Nicotiana glauca Poisoning: A Case Report

Nicotiana glauca is an herbaceous plant with high toxicity due to its primary alkaloid anabasine content which acts as an agonist at peripheral nicotinic receptors. Case report: We describe an uncommon and severe case of Nicotiana glauca poisoning in a seventy-five-year old man. He developed gastrointestinal and muscular signs two hours after ingestion of green shrubs with glaucous leaves that he mistook for spinach. Soon, in the emergency room he developed coma without localizing signs and acute respiratory failure without abnormalities in the chest X–ray that required intubation and mechanical ventilation for one day. The patient fully recovered and was discharged at home without any residual sequelae. Conclusion: The ingestion of anabasine, the principal alkaloid in the Nicotiana glauca may result in severe poisoning manifested by acute respiratory failure. Supportive care should make a full recovery.