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BY-NC-ND 3.0 license Open Access Published by De Gruyter Open Access April 9, 2010

An unusual cause of hypotension and abnormal electrocardiogram (ECG) — scombroid poisoning

  • Catalina Lionte EMAIL logo
From the journal Open Medicine

Abstract

Scombroid fish or histamine food poisoning is an illness typically associated with fish consumption, rarely encountered and reported in Europe. Symptoms develop quickly and resemble an allergic reaction. This paper reports three cases of severe scombroid poisoning in previously healthy patients, which presented diffuse macular erythema, hypotension, palpitations, and abnormal electrocardiogram (ECG). All patients required intensive care, with a complete resolution of symptoms and ECG changes within 24 hours. This is the first Romanian report of scombroid poisoning, emphasizing that medical personnel should be aware of this condition, because symptoms and ECG changes often lead to confusion with other diseases.

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Published Online: 2010-4-9
Published in Print: 2010-6-1

© 2010 Versita Warsaw

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

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