TREATMENT OF FOXGLOVE EXTRACT POISONING WITH DIGOXIN-SPECIFIC FAB FRAGMENTS

A 22-year-old man presented to our emergency department after an inten tional overdose of a homemade foxglove extract. Clinical symptoms with symptomatic bradyarrhythmia and ECG changes were consistent with card iac glycoside poisoning. Treatment with digoxin-specific Fab fragments resulted in transient clinical and ECG improvement. Serum immunoassay demonstrated a digitoxin-like glycoside. The serum levels showed no e vidence of altered elimination or distribution with Fab therapy despit e temporary improvements in the clinical course. The use of Fab did no t result in a shortened clinical course in this episode of foxglove po isoning, as one would expect in the setting of commercial glycoside pr oduct poisoning.