Some people enjoy foraging for wild mushrooms as a way to enjoy time with nature. While most types of mushrooms are considered safe, some aren't and they can potentially be somebody's last meal.
A case report that appeared in the Canadian Medical Association Journal described how lack of knowledge on wild mushrooms can be fatal.
The case was that of a 52-year-old woman who landed in the emergency department at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center in Toronto with complaints of nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
Twelve hours prior to her ER visit, she said she had consumed wild mushrooms from the local park. The doctors gave her activated charcoal to eliminate toxins from her body.
The next day, it appeared that the woman's condition did not improve, to the point that she developed liver failure that required a transplant.
Surgery was performed without complications and she went home 10 days later.
A sample of the mushroom was brought for analysis and it was found that it was Amanita bisporigera, as reported in Live Science.
According to the science news outlet, researchers said that anyone who eats this species of mushroom will pass three phases of poisoning.
The first phase lasts anywhere between six hours to one day following ingestion. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
The second phase is called the "false recovery period," where people will feel better. At this stage, most people will be discharged from hospitals thinking they have recovered.
The third and final phase occurs a couple of days following ingestion of the wild mushroom and this is the stage where liver damage (and possible death) occurs.
The researchers wrote in their report that people who forage for wild mushrooms can mistake them for edible ones, which increases the risk of poisoning.
According to Corey Stein, the case report co-author and a resident who helped treat the patient, no antidote is currently available specifically for mushroom toxicity.
Charcoal given orally can help absorb the toxin but is only effective if given immediately after ingestion. Still there is a possibility that such remedy won't work, he said.
Stein advised people to be vigilant about mushrooms that look alike but are not the same when it comes to edibility. If the identity of a mushroom is uncertain, it's best to leave it alone, he said.
