Calotropis poisoning with severe cardiac toxicity A case report

Calotropis is a widely prevalent plant in the Indian Subcontinent. The extract and various parts of the plant are used by traditional healers for treating miscellaneous diseases. All parts of the plants are toxic; there are many case reports of gastrointestinal, cutaneous and ocular toxicity with Calotropis. The plant contains Cardenolide glycosides which have Digoxin like effects and can cause severe cardiotoxicity. We report a patient who developed cardiovascular collapse after oral ingestion and cutaneous application of Calotropis following snake bite by a traditional healer, this case thus highlights the potential cardiotoxicity of Calotropis.