Contents
Of the 5000 known mushrooms, only about 50 are poisonous. The toxic substances contained in them can cause both a slight deterioration in well-being, and serious damage to the kidneys and liver, up to death. The most serious poisoning and functional and structural disorders of the liver (up to necrosis) occur after eating poisonous mushrooms:
- pale grebe (Amanita phalloides);
- a line of ordinary (Gyromitra escukenta);
- fly agaric: red (Amanita muscaria), panther (Amanita pantherna);
- beautiful cobweb (Cortinarius speciosissimus), mountain (Cortinarius orellanus);
- satanic mushroom (Boletus satanas).
Their highly toxic action is due to the presence of toxic organic substances: phalloidin, amanitin, mycoatropine, gyromitrin.
According to the Scientific and Practical Toxicological Center of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia, up to 90% of mushroom poisoning occurs at the end of July-October. About 63% of poisonings are due to the consumption of mushrooms belonging to the genus Amanita. The highest mortality (to 50%) is fixed in case of poisoning with pale toadstool.
Symptoms of mushroom poisoning
Fungal toxins affect the cells of the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract, causing indigestion 1 to 2 hours after consumption and acute toxic gastroenteritis. This period of time may be reduced or increased depending on the type of mushrooms, their processing, the amount of alcohol consumed, body weight, age and the presence of chronic diseases in the victim. Mushroom poisoning in children can be more severe, proceed more rapidly. There are also mushrooms with a delayed picture of poisoning, so it’s better to analyze each case separately.
Death cap. The poison amanitin, which is part of the pale toadstool, affects the kidneys, liver, intestines, heart, and central nervous system. Symptoms develop after 8-24 hours in the form of an acute attack of gastroenteritis with bloody stools up to 30 times a day, severe sweating and a decrease in temperature. Excitation is observed, followed by complete apathy. The pupils of the patient are dilated, often there are complaints of headache. Since the poisoning proceeds violently, dehydration, convulsions, and collapse occur. On the second day, jaundice appears, urine output is difficult. If the patient is not hospitalized in time, lethality is inevitable.
Spring lines. Clinical manifestations of poisoning begin after 6-12 hours in the form of acute gastroenteritis, headache, delirium, drowsiness and loss of consciousness. The liver increases, jaundice and acute anemia rapidly develop. There is cardiac weakness. Death occurs in 3-4 days.
A similar effect can cause prolonged use of morels in food – the toxin gyromitrin, which is part of them, accumulates in the body for a long time.
Mountain cobweb.Poisoning and irreversible damage to the excretory system causes the orellanin toxin, which is part of the fungus (resistant to high temperatures). The first symptoms may appear after a few days (sometimes after 2-3 weeks), first in the form of intense thirst, then acute headaches, numbness and severe chills of the extremities are added to the gastrointestinal malaise. After 2 to 4 days, poisoning causes acute nephritis.
Field talker. Non-fatal, but serious, mushroom poisonings containing muscarine toxin are possible. More than fly agaric, its concentration is found in govorushki and fibers. So, two hours after the use of talkers, in addition to disrupting the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, a decrease in blood pressure, respiratory failure, tachycardia, profuse sweating and weakness are possible. This poisoning is not fatal, but also requires immediate medical attention.
Fly agaric red and fly agaric panther. Toxic substances cause poisoning: muscarine, muscaridine and hallucinatory bufotenin. Types of poisoning differ depending on the combination of substances and their concentration. So, if muscaridine predominates, gastrointestinal disorders, acute abdominal pain, and a violation of the heart are characteristic. By the way, if the red fly agaric gives constriction of the pupil and profuse sweating and salivation, then in case of poisoning with the panther fly agaric, the victim’s pupil, on the contrary, is dilated, the mucous membranes and skin are dry. Symptoms appear quickly, within half an hour. Recovery is possible in 1 to 2 days, and deaths are rare.
“You can get poisoned not only with poisonous mushrooms, but also with edible ones – with improper processing and preparation,” recalls Director of the Resource and Educational Center for First Aid of the Russian Red Cross Larisa Khrameyeva. – Canned mushrooms can be a source of a very serious disease – botulism.
The time of collection is also important: the concentration of poisons in the “first wave” mushrooms is 100 times greater than in the environment. During the heat, a lot of dust and heavy metals settle on them. The place of collection is also important – it is strictly forbidden to collect mushrooms near industrial enterprises, railways and roads.
First aid for mushroom poisoning
The first step is to immediately call an ambulance!
“Before the ambulance arrives,” says Larisa Khrameyeva, “especially if you are in a remote area where the medical assistance team may arrive with a long delay, do the following:
- put the victim on his side in a stable position;
- let the victim drink as much water as possible at room temperature: from 1,5 liters or more – in this way you will reflexively induce vomiting and flush the stomach, thereby reducing the concentration of toxic substances; repeat flushing until the vomit is pure water;
- after washing, give the victim activated charcoal;
- for the prevention of dehydration, the use of a solution of a special powder containing the salts necessary for the body is shown – Regidron.
You can also induce vomiting by pressing the root of the tongue and cleanse the intestines with saline laxatives (including magnesium sulfate – 20 g), make an enema. Activated charcoal should be given at the rate of 1 tablet per 1 kg of body weight, if there is no vomiting and the patient is able to drink enough liquid to obtain a complete suspension. Otherwise, it is recommended to replace coal with Polysorb MP (colloidal silicon dioxide): adults 3 g 3 times a day, children at the rate of 0,15 g / kg per day in 3-4 doses.
Vaseline oil, 30% sodium sulfate solution (100-150 ml each) are used as a laxative for acute poisoning.
Important! It is strictly forbidden to give alcohol, painkillers, fix the stool with diarrhea and artificially stop vomiting with special drugs.
Treatment of mushroom poisoning
Treatment should take place in the toxicology department, in the hospital. As a rule, it is focused on the urgent treatment of collapse, maintaining the work of the heart and vital organs, including kidney failure. In case of poisoning with red fly agaric, atropine is used. Carry out forced detoxification, causing diuresis. On the first day, special preparations purify the blood of toxins (carry out hemosorption).
In mild cases of mushroom poisoning, health is fully restored in about a week. Sometimes the recovery period lasts 2-3 weeks and ends with general asthenia for about a month. Recovery after severe forms of poisoning takes from 2 to 6 months and asthenia lasts the same. In 20% of severe patients, chronic hepatopathy remains.
Diagnostics
In addition to general clinical diagnostics, to establish an accurate picture of mushroom poisoning, biochemical blood and urine tests, diagnostic imaging, chemical and toxicological analysis of fungal samples if present, ultrasound and other liver studies are performed.
Since the first signs of poisoning resemble gastroenteritis, the doctor differentiates food and enterovirus infection, the usual exacerbation of chronic diseases of the pancreas and gastrointestinal tract, and hepatitis. The presence of blood in the secretions and chloropod stool clearly indicates poisoning with a pale toadstool, in which, by the way, there is no increase in temperature.
Modern treatments
Most often, the treatment of mushroom poisoning is aimed at removing toxic substances (enteral or extracorporeal detoxification of the body), restoring affected functions, treating liver and kidney damage. In case of poisoning with atropines or muscarine, specific therapy is carried out. In case of poisoning with a pale toadstool, plasmapheresis and plasma sorption are also performed.
General intensive symptomatic therapy consists in correcting the water and electrolyte balance. In modern clinics, protective liver therapy is carried out using hepatoprotectors and B1 vitamins.
In the most difficult situations, it is advisable to consult by phone with a toxicologist of the territorial center (department) of acute poisoning, or by calling the Scientific and Practical Toxicological Center of FMBA of Russia (tel. for consultations – +8 (495) 628-16-87) around the clock.
Prevention of mushroom poisoning at home
The only measure to prevent mushroom poisoning is not to eat unknown mushrooms, not to buy them from hands and on the roadsides, and not to treat yourself to mushroom platter. A rather practical approach is to limit yourself to chanterelles, white and champignons (in the store).
Popular questions and answers
Most of the poisonous mushrooms are among the agaric and umbrella ones, so try to take the so-called spongy noble mushrooms and do not put something like russula in the basket, and even more so with greenish hats.
Pale grebe in general is often confused with russula and champignons. Remember: in a pale grebe, the hat is pale green, pale yellow or white, the plates are pale with a greenish tinge; scaly leg with a wide ring; at the base of the leg is a thickened formation, the so-called vagina.
It is impossible to determine a poisonous mushroom by taste or smell. Absolutely harmful advice is to fearlessly take mushrooms damaged by snails or insects – they do not react to toxins.
But the habit of cooking mushrooms properly should be developed by every mushroom picker. There are mushrooms that need to be soaked for a long time, there are those that require boiling – you need to carefully study the description of a particular mushroom.