Unintentional Exposure to Nerium oleander in Children

INTRODUCTION: Nerium oleander is well known for its toxicity due to the presence of cardiotoxic glycosides. This shrub is often involved in unintentional ingestion by children. To improve knowledge and assist health care professionals, we conducted a 12-year retrospective study in France on unintentional exposure to N. oleander in children aged 0 to 12 years. METHODS: Data were extracted from the National Poisoning Case Database. The distribution of children according to the circumstances and the route of exposure, in addition to the type of symptoms and the clinical outcome, were specifically analysed. RESULTS: In total, 2748 cases were included. Most accidents occurred in the home. Of these, 224 (8.15%) children developed symptoms. Oral and buccal exposures were mainly associated with digestive disorders and oropharyngeal irritation, all of minor severity. The irritant effects of N. oleander were also observed following ocular and cutaneous exposure. CONCLUSION: Nerium oleander poisoning is relatively common in France. Our study showed that in unintentional exposures, symptoms were generally of minor severity. Nevertheless, thorough decontamination of the contact area is essential because of the plant's irritant properties.