We have a sunny weekend ahead of us, which some of us will spend picking mushrooms. Let's remember to collect only those that we know well. If we make a mistake, it may even cost us our lives. – The first symptoms of mushroom poisoning appear 4 to 8 hours after consumption. Most often, liver and kidney failure develops on the third or fourth day – emphasize doctors from the University Clinical Hospital in WrocÅ‚aw.
Head of the Emergency Department of the University Clinical Hospital in We WrocÅ‚aw Janusz SokoÅ‚owski, M.D., pointed out that doctors know when there is an abundance of mushrooms in the forests, because at that time the number of hospitalizations related to poisonings increases. – The most serious – including fatal – cases of mushroom poisoning are fortunately not common, but there are many mushroom pickers who have been fooled by, for example, mushroom mushrooms, commonly called pseudocaps. These relatively common mushrooms can easily be confused with their edible cousins, i.e. the red fungus or star mushroom, the doctor said.
First symptoms even after four hours
Doctors from USK emphasize that the first symptoms appear Mushroom poisoning appear 4 to 8 hours after ingestion. Specialists warn that if you suspect you have eaten a poisonous species, you should immediately consult a doctor.
In case of indigestion caused by eating mushrooms, the symptoms disappear after administration of antispasmodics, analgesics and a change of diet, but they return on the next day.
– This makes treatment so much more difficult that gastric lavage cannot be performed, and toxins in the body already damage internal organs. Most often, liver and kidney failure develops on the third or fourth day. Some patients require urgent liver transplantation and, unfortunately, not all of them can be saved – emphasize doctors from the USK. Doctors also point out that mushrooms, while having excellent taste, are difficult to digest, especially when eaten in large quantities. Doctors warn against giving mushrooms to children.
– Taking into account the nutritional values, apart from the taste, there is no point in giving mushrooms to children, especially since they are difficult to digest – pointed out Tomasz Pytrus, MD, head of the Department of Pediatrics, Gastroenterology and Nutrition of the University Clinical Hospital in WrocÅ‚aw. Forest mushrooms should not be given to children until at least 12 years of age.
“They lose their routine”
Dr. Pytrus also said that the most severe poisonings, paradoxically, affect experienced mushroom pickers.
– They often collect lamellar mushrooms. They get lost in routine, the doctor noted, citing a case from years ago when an entire family was admitted to hospital with symptoms of poisoning.
– Grandpa made mushroom sauce and served it to his relatives. One child died, the other had a liver transplant, but grandfather and grandmother did not survive this fatal mistake. The mechanisms of poisoning in children and adults are similar, but in the case of children, a small amount of toxin is enough to cause a tragedy, the doctor said.
Main photo source: Shutterstock