Ratti Plant Poisoning: Seven-Year-Old Rescued At Delhi Hospital, Younger Brother Passes Away Earlier

Abrin poisoning is treated by giving the victim supportive medical care to minimize the effects of the poison as there is no definitive antidote, expert informed

A seven-year-old boy who had been poisoned by a toxin called Abrin was rescued at a Delhi hospital. The boy who hails from Bhind in Madhya Pradesh was admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in critical condition. The boy's younger brother who was five years old and had also ingested the same poison, developed seizures, went into a coma and died earlier.

Abrus precatorious is a rare but important cause of plant poisoning, especially in tropical countries like India. The plant contains a lethal toxin called Abrin that inhibits protein synthesis and causes cell death. The toxin is comparable to the venom of a viper snake and there is no effective antidote for this kind of poisoning.

Poisoning signs in the child

As per the hospital, when the boy was admitted to the hospital, he was exhibiting signs of poisoning such as bloody diarrhea and swelling in the brain.

Dr Dhiren Gupta, Senior Consultant, Department of Paediatric Emergency and Critical Care, said, "When we received the child, I was surprised to find that the child was poisoned by a poison called Abrin which is released by the seeds of a plant called Abrus Precatorius also known as Ratti or Gunchi in India. This particular toxin or poison is as dangerous and fatal as snake venom and carries a high fatality rate if not treated on time."

The doctor informed that on admission, the child was unconscious, delirious and had unstable vitals (high pulse rate with shocks). He said that the child was brought to the Delhi hospital 24 hours later after he had ingested the poison. He said that the "golden hour" was lost due to the unavailability of a definitive antidote.

Also, the child's younger brother who had ingested the same toxin couldn't be saved on time and passed away before he could be brought to the Delhi hospital.

No definitive antidote

The doctor informed that the usual course of treatment is not definitive. Abrin poisoning, as per the expert, has no antidote. The only way out is to avoid exposure.

Dr Gupta said, "In the hospital, Abrin poisoning is treated by giving the victim supportive medical care to minimize the effects of the poison. The type of supportive medical care depends 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). We did the same and the child was saved and discharged in stable condition four days after admission."

The doctor also informed that in this kind of poisoning, the treatment is usually complete cleaning of the stomach within two hours of ingestion and charcoal therapy.

Abrin: A lethal poison

The toxicity of the plant was found to be due to the presence of a lectin poison called abrin, so toxic that, if swallowed or chewed, it will result in almost immediate death. Abrin is one of the most lethal known poisons, inducing severe vomiting, high fever, drooling, highly elevated levels of nervous tension, liver failure, bladder failure, bleeding from the eyes, and convulsive seizures. The plant, because of its seeds has been reported as the world's most dangerous plant after a castor oil plant.