Datura poisoning (Dhatura; Jimsonweed) produces a classical toxidrome. Which of the following features is MOST likely to be absent in pure Datura alkaloid (atropine/hyoscine) poisoning compared to organophosphorus poisoning?
- A Miosis and lacrimation ✓
- B Dilated pupils
- C Tachycardia
- D Dry flushed skin
Explanation
Datura contains tropane alkaloids (atropine, hyoscine, hyoscyamine) that are competitive muscarinic antagonists. The resulting toxidrome includes mydriasis, tachycardia, urinary retention, dry flushed skin, hyperthermia, delirium — remembered as 'mad as a hatter, red as a beet, dry as a bone, blind as a bat, hot as a hare.' Miosis and lacrimation (along with bronchospasm, bradycardia, and increased secretions) are cholinergic features seen in organophosphorus (acetylcholinesterase inhibitor) poisoning, and are completely absent in Datura poisoning, which produces the opposite anticholinergic picture.
Reference: The Essentials of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology (Narayan Reddy), 34th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.