Resumo

GUERRERO, Emilse Y; OMANA, Betty   e  RODRIGUEZ-ACOSTA, Alexis. Case of intoxication by the use of the loofah sponge or tusa (Luffa cylindrica) in Venezuela. INHRR [online]. 2013, vol.44, n.2, pp.03-06. ISSN 0798-0477.

In some world regions, plants originate important clinical problems, causing significant morbidity and mortality, mainly after unintentional poisoning. This paper aims to describe a case seen at the Medical Toxicology Service, "Dr. Leopoldo Manrique Terrero " Hospital, Caracas, Venezuela (2012), which was a loofah plant poisoning (Luffa cylindrica), belonging to Cucurbitaceae family, used inappropriately as nasal instillation. The otorhinolaryngology clinical analysis demonstrated an acute, severe upper airway obstruction produced by the topical use of loofah (Luffa cylindrica) plant extract as nasal medication to treat chronic sinusitis. The patient developed 2 hours after instillation, a dysphonia, with intense uvula edema, confusion, headache and sore throat and accentuated respiratory distress. After literature review it is suggested that this is the first referred or published case in this unusual intoxication and upper airway damage caused by this plant. The patient was treated with oxygen (SOS), hydrocortisone and chlorpheniramine recovering after 48 h of symptomatic treatment.

Palavras-chave : uvula; edema; loofah sponge; Luffa cylindrica; odynophagia; toxic plants; sinusitis; tusa.