What Are the Medical Uses of Ricin?

The treatment methods for castor bean poisoning are as follows: (1) Immediately induce vomiting, gastric lavage and catharsis, and if necessary, perform high-level enema to expel the residual toxins in the body as soon as possible. (2) Take rice soup and milk orally to protect the gastric mucosa and keep warm. Serious cases should be sent to the hospital for rescue as soon as possible. Ricinus also known as hemp seed, kenaf, and hemp. Ricinus is the seed of castor, which has a wide range of uses in industry and medicine.

Castor seed poisoning

Ricinus ricin contains a variety of toxins such as ricin, which have a damaging effect on the human's gastrointestinal mucosa, liver, and kidneys, as well as agglutination of red blood cells and hemolysis. Poisoning can occur after ingestion of castor beans. Castor bean poisoning often occurs in children, with a longer incubation period, usually 1 to 3 days, and usually occurs 18 to 24 hours after eating. The poisoned person first feels a strong itch and burning sensation in the throat, and then develops gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, etc., showing bloody diarrhea-like stools, some with severe headaches, dizziness, hematuria or anuria, and severe dehydration , Shock, coma, can die from respiratory paralysis, heart failure.

Castor Seed Poisoning Treatment

Damage caused by castor seed poisoning

Castor Seed Poisoning Treatment

Many people know that castor leaf can raise castor silkworm, castor bean can squeeze oil, and its oil can be made into lubricating oil, mordant and medicine. However, not everyone understands the strong toxicity to castor beans.

Because castor bean looks beautiful and full, children do not understand its toxicity, and it is easy to accidentally eat poisoning.

Castor Seed Poisoning

Castor bean poisoning is mainly caused by ricin. It is a highly toxic metabolic toxin, which has a stimulating effect on the gastrointestinal mucosa, can damage liver, kidney and lymphoid tissues, as well as agglutinate red blood cells and hemolysis, paralyze the motor center and the respiratory center. Adults may die if they eat more than 10 capsules of castor beans by mistake, and children may die if they eat 3 to 5 capsules.

The incubation period of castor seed poisoning

The incubation period of castor bean poisoning is relatively long, usually 1 to 3 days, and it usually occurs 18 to 24 hours after eating. Strong irritation and burning sensation in the throat at first, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain in mild cases, dehydration, acidosis, and debilitating symptoms may be caused; severe cases may cause blood in the stool, lethargy, fever, coma, convulsions, jaundice, proteinuria , Hematuria or urinary occlusion, decreased blood pressure, shock, and finally died of liver, kidney, and heart failure.

First aid and treatment of castor seed poisoning

Initiate vomiting, gastric lavage, and enema with spit root syrup in the early stage, and then lavage the stomach with 0.05% potassium permanganate solution or warm water, and then diarrhea with sodium sulfate or high enema with warm water. At the same time, milk or egg white can be taken orally to keep warm.

Corrects dehydration and acidosis

Oral baking soda water (5-15 g / d) alkalizes urine to prevent hemoglobin or other products from precipitating in the kidney.

Symptomatic treatment of castor seed poisoning

When breathing and circulatory failure occur, you can give lobelin, nicosamide, sodium benzoate caffeine, and deacetyl lanatoside C. At the same time, pay attention to protect the liver and kidney, input hypertonic glucose and vitamin B, C, K or blood transfusion.

Strengthening the propaganda of castor bean poisoning prevention knowledge:

Castor beans cannot be eaten raw or cooked;

Intensify publicity during the planting and harvesting of castor to make residents, especially children, aware that it is poisonous and inedible;

Properly store castor bean and industrial castor oil.