Ricin poisoning

Protein toxin from castor plant (ricinus communis) beans 

Inhibits protein synthesis, causing systemic effects and local effects Airway inflammation, interstitial pneumonia, and perivascular and alveolar edema GI wall inflammation and cell death Muscle and local lymph node cell death 

Bowel movements - blood or black (melena) Bowel movements - diarrhea Breathing - diff, rest (rest dyspnea) 

ant - pain, nonpleuritic rest Chest - crackles (rales) 

Chest - pain/tightness Cough - acute NS Eyes, conjunctivae - injected Eyes, lids - swollen (edema) 

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The initial symptoms of ricin poisoning are gastroenteritis, in which there is bleeding, followed by arrythmias of the heart, depression of the central nervous system, coma, and then death. The toxin is especially potent when injected, whereas a single castor bean can be eaten without... 

Differential diagnosis of ricin exposure shows early inhalational ricin poisoning and will have primarily respiratory signs and symptoms, whereas ingested ricin will probably present early with gastrointestinal symptoms. 

Audi, J., Belson, M., Patel, M., Schier, J., Osterloh, J. (2005). Ricin poisoning a comprehensive review. JAMA 294 2342-51. Balint, G.A. (1974). Ricin the toxic protein of castor oil seeds. Toxicology 2 77-102. 

Houston, L.L. (1982). Protection of mice Irom ricin poisoning hy treatment with antibodies directed against ricin. J. Toxicol. Clin. Toxicol. 19 385-9. 

Leek, M.D., Griffiths, G.D., Green, M.A. (1989). Intestinal pathology following intramuscular ricin poisoning. J. Pathol. 159 329-34. 

Balint (1974) and later Zhang et al. (1994) foimd that at the lethal dose in rabbits, ricin caused hemorrhage and necrosis. Christiansen et al. (1994) foimd that the release of norepinephrine from sympathetic nerves in the vasculature is not impaired by ricin. The CDC, under signs and symptoms of ricin poisoning that may be encountered, cite cardiovascular collapse (hypovolemic shock). 

Bradberry SM, Dickers KJ, Rice P, Griffiths GD, Vale JA. Ricin poisoning. Toxicol Rev 2003 22(1) 65-70. 

Methyl bromide poisoning Osmium tetroxide poisoning Phosgene poisoning Ricin poisoning Smallpox... 

Osmium tetroxide poisoning, 367-370 Phosphine poisoning, 375-379 Radiation poisoning, 380-383 Ricin poisoning, 384-387 Salmonellosis, 199-202 Shigellosis, 206-209... 

Risen, J. and van Natta, D., 2003. Bases the target in ricin poison plot theory. Sydney Morning Herald, January 25, available at http //www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/01/24/ 1042911548292.html. 

Ricin mechanism of toxicity, clinical manifestations, and vaccine development (Doan, 2004) Ricin poisoning (Audi et al., 2005)... 

Hunt et al., 1918 Kopferschmitt et al., 1983 Wedin et al., 1986 Franz and Jaax, 1997 Palatnick and Tenenbein, 2000). Although humans may be particularly susceptible to ricin poisoning, there is little basis for an informed estimate because of the great variation in the amount of toxin contained in castor seeds, as well as variations in the circumstances of poisoning (Hunt et al., 1918 Balint, 1974). There are also wide differences expected in the amount of toxin released... 

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