Accidental Castor Bean (Ricinus communis) Poisoning in a Pediatric Patient: A Case Report and Literature Review.
- 1Pediatrics, Hospital General Enrique Garces, Quito, ECU.
- 2Medicine, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud "Eugenio Espejo," Universidad Tecnológica Equinoccial (UTE), Quito, ECU.
Abstract
Castor bean (Ricinus communis) poisoning is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening toxicological emergency, particularly in children. No specific antidote exists, and treatment remains primarily supportive. We report the case of an 11-year-old previously healthy girl who accidentally ingested five chewed castor beans and developed repeated vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, somnolence, and transient temporal disorientation. On admission, she was mildly dehydrated and exhibited transient neurological impairment accompanied by leukocytosis with neutrophilia, while hepatic, renal, and pancreatic function remained within normal limits. She was managed with supportive care, including intravenous fluids, antiemetic therapy, supplemental oxygen, serial laboratory testing, blood gas analyses, and continuous electrocardiographic monitoring. Gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms resolved within 48 hours, serial laboratory studies remained unremarkable, and no evidence of cardiac abnormalities or multiorgan dysfunction was observed during 72 hours of inpatient monitoring. This case highlights the considerable variability in the clinical expression of ricin toxicity and shows that complete recovery may occur despite ingesting multiple chewed castor beans, which theoretically increases toxin bioavailability. Early recognition, careful clinical observation, and timely supportive management remain the cornerstones of treatment until better prognostic markers become available.
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BibTeX
@article{pulla2026accidental,
title = {{Accidental Castor Bean (Ricinus communis) Poisoning in a Pediatric Patient: A Case Report and Literature Review.}},
author = {Janeth Pineda Pulla and Sofia Simaluisa Sambachi and Danny Allauca Barriga and Diana Salguero Castellanos and Vanessa Avalos Trujillo},
journal = {Cureus},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.7759/cureus.116930},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42928937},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Accidental Castor Bean (Ricinus communis) Poisoning in a Pediatric Patient: A Case Report and Literature Review.
AU - Janeth Pineda Pulla
AU - Sofia Simaluisa Sambachi
AU - Danny Allauca Barriga
AU - Diana Salguero Castellanos
AU - Vanessa Avalos Trujillo
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/25
JO - Cureus
DO - 10.7759/cureus.116930
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42928937
AB - Castor bean (Ricinus communis) poisoning is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening toxicological emergency, particularly in children. No specific antidote exists, and treatment remains primarily supportive. We report the case of an 11-year-old previously healthy girl who accidentally ingested five chewed castor beans and developed repeated vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, somnolence, and transient temporal disorientation. On admission, she was mildly dehydrated and exhibited transient neurological impairment accompanied by leukocytosis with neutrophilia, while hepatic, renal, and pancreatic function remained within normal limits. She was managed with supportive care, including intravenous fluids, antiemetic therapy, supplemental oxygen, serial laboratory testing, blood gas analyses, and continuous electrocardiographic monitoring. Gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms resolved within 48 hours, serial laboratory studies remained unremarkable, and no evidence of cardiac abnormalities or multiorgan dysfunction was observed during 72 hours of inpatient monitoring. This case highlights the considerable variability in the clinical expression of ricin toxicity and shows that complete recovery may occur despite ingesting multiple chewed castor beans, which theoretically increases toxin bioavailability. Early recognition, careful clinical observation, and timely supportive management remain the cornerstones of treatment until better prognostic markers become available.
SN - 2168-8184
ER -