A Detailed Explanation of the Diagnosis and Treatment of Sprouted Potato Poisoning

The potato is also known as the Irish potato or yam bean. The potato contains an alkaloid called solanine, which is strongly irritating and corrosive to the gastric mucosa and has an inhibitory effect on the central nervous system, especially the respiratory center. Solanine is generally present in only trace amounts, but the solanine content around the eyes and in the young sprouts of sprouted potatoes is very high, and eating them by mistake can cause poisoning.

Clinical manifestations: acute poisoning generally comes on within several tens of minutes to several hours after eating. First there is a burning sensation in the mouth and throat, followed by gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Mild cases recover on their own in 1 to 2 days, while severe cases may have fever, convulsions, coma, difficulty breathing, and cyanosis; in critical cases, death may result from paralysis of the respiratory muscles.

Treatment 1. Gastric lavage and catharsis: immediately perform thorough gastric lavage with 0.5% to 0.1% tannic acid or 1:5000 potassium permanganate or strong tea, and use sodium sulfate for catharsis. 2. Fluid replacement: for those with dehydration symptoms, drink plenty of lightly salted water or sugar water, or receive intravenous fluids, to help excrete the toxin. At the same time, attention should be paid to water and electrolyte balance. 3. Symptomatic treatment: for severe vomiting and diarrhea, atropine may be given; for difficulty breathing, oxygen may be administered; for shallow breathing, respiratory center stimulants may be injected. If breathing stops, perform artificial respiration or mechanical ventilation. For enterogenous cyanosis (nitrite poisoning), methylene blue may be used for treatment (see nitrite poisoning); epinephrine is contraindicated.