Datura (Datura stramonium/metel) poisoning is caused by tropane alkaloids. A patient presents with confusion, mydriasis, dry flushed skin, tachycardia, urinary retention, and visual hallucinations. The mnemonic for anticholinergic toxidrome includes all EXCEPT:
- A Hot as a hare, dry as a bone
- B Red as a beet
- C Wet as a fish, slow as a tortoise ✓
- D Mad as a hatter, blind as a bat
Explanation
The classic anticholinergic toxidrome mnemonic is: 'Hot as a hare' (hyperthermia), 'dry as a bone' (anhidrosis), 'red as a beet' (cutaneous vasodilation/flushing), 'blind as a bat' (mydriasis), 'mad as a hatter' (confusion/delirium), 'full as a flask' (urinary retention), and 'fast as a fiddle' (tachycardia). Option C — 'wet as a fish, slow as a tortoise' — describes the CHOLINERGIC toxidrome (muscarinic overstimulation: hypersalivation, bradycardia). Datura contains hyoscine (scopolamine), atropine, and hyoscyamine — all muscarinic blockers — producing the full anticholinergic syndrome.
Reference: The Essentials of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology (Narayan Reddy), 34th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
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