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- Title
Fatal ingestion of Taxus baccata: English yew.
- Authors
Brooks‐Lim, Elizabeth W. L.; Mérette, Sandrine A.; Hawkins, Barbara J.; Maxwell, Carolyn; Washbrook, Andrew; Shapiro, Aaron M.
- Abstract
Poisoning from consumption of foraged alternative medicine products is an uncommon yet recognized occurrence. Here, presented is the case of a 40‐year‐old woman who was witnessed to collapse with labored breathing and subsequently died despite emergency medical personnel attendance and resuscitation efforts. Autopsy revealed the presence of plant matter that was visually identified as leaves from Taxus baccata – the English Yew. Isolation of alkaloids from the plant material and subsequent identification of the same alkaloids in the decedent's blood by liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry indicated a toxicological cause of death. This case illustrates a collaborative team approach among subject matter experts to unexpectedly discover and then confirm the sudden death of this woman from T. baccata toxicity.
- Subjects
YEW; LIQUID chromatography-mass spectrometry; EMERGENCY medical personnel; SUDDEN death; ALTERNATIVE medicine; DYSPNEA
- Publication
Journal of Forensic Sciences, 2022, Vol 67, Issue 2, p820
- ISSN
0022-1198
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/1556-4029.14941