Institute of Emergency Medicine and Critical Care Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan, ROC.
Am J Emerg Med. 2010 Jan;28(1):85-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2008.09.022.
One of the oldest Chinese herbal medicine, bajiaolian is widely used in traditional therapy. In Taiwan, bajiaolian is the fifth highest cause of poisoning among herbal medicines. The diagnosis is difficult because physicians are unfamiliar with this medicine's multiple presentations in different stages of intoxication.
The records of 4 major poison centers in Taiwan were searched for all bajiaolian intoxication from July 1985 (the opening of first poison center) to March 2003. Two emergency physicians with toxicologic training reviewed the admission charts and visited case patients for follow-up.
Seventeen patients were identified, of which 15 (88.2%) had been misdiagnosed initially. In the beginning of their medical care, 14 cases were diagnosed as acute gastroenteritis.
Bajiaolian intoxication is probably misdiagnosed because of early gastrointestinal symptoms followed by neurologic symptoms. A detailed patient history should be taken, and symptoms should be reviewed systemically to improve diagnostic accuracy.
八角莲是一种最古老的中药，广泛用于传统疗法。在台湾，八角莲是中草药中毒的第五大原因。由于医生不熟悉这种药物在不同中毒阶段的多种表现，因此诊断困难。
从 1985 年 7 月（第一家中毒中心开业）到 2003 年 3 月，检索了台湾四个主要中毒中心的所有八角莲中毒记录。两名接受过毒理学培训的急诊医生审查了入院记录，并对病例患者进行了随访。
共确定了 17 名患者，其中 15 名（88.2%）最初被误诊。在他们医疗的早期，有 14 例被诊断为急性肠胃炎。
八角莲中毒可能由于早期胃肠道症状，随后出现神经系统症状而被误诊。应详细询问病史，并全面检查症状，以提高诊断准确性。
