30 Jun 2011
The Department of Health (DH) today (June 30) announces that a case of herbal aconitum alkaloid poisoning is at least being traced to a licensed Chinese herbal medicines retailer, Fu Hong Medicine Co (Fu Hong) in Fu Tung Shopping Centre of Tung Chung on Lantau Island.
A DH spokesman elaborates that the Department received notification from the Hospital Authority (HA) on June 29 about a suspected case of Chinese herbal medicine poisoning in a 57-year-old Chinese woman. She developed symptoms and signs compatible with aconitum alkaloid poisoning, including generalised numbness and weakness, diarrhoea and cardiac arrhythmia 20 minutes after having taken Chinese medicines prescribed for throat discomfort on June 21.
"The clinical diagnosis was proven after HA's laboratory testing on the patient's urine and the herbal broth remnants found two poisonous aconitum alkaloids, yunaconitine and crassicauline A," the spokesman confirms. It is understood that the lady was discharged home on June 22 after inpatient treatment.
The spokesman continues to explain that investigation by DH thus far finds that the patient had bought Chinese herbs from Fu Hong after consulting the Chinese medicine practitioner on-site for throat discomfort. The formula comprised 19 Chinese herbs which, according to the literature, should not contain the poisonous yunaconitine and crassicauline A.
"In fact, Chinese herbal medicines known to contain these two alkaloid constituents are not commonly used in Hong Kong. They include Radix Aconiti Austroyunnanensis, Radix Aconiti Forrestii and Radix Aconiti Sungpanensis. If used improperly, aconitum alkaloids not only can cause discomfort like numbness of mouth and limbs, nausea and vomiting, peripheral weakness, they can even lead to life-threatening breathing difficulties and cardiac arrhythmia," the spokesman deliberates.
"Analyses by DH and Government Laboratory on samples of the 19 herbs obtained afterwards from Fu Hong detected no yunaconitine and crassicauline A, whether alone or in decoction prepared from them," the spokesman states.
While DH will continue to trace the source of the alkaloids detected in the clinical specimens and also enhance vigilance, it has received no other related notification to date.
Meanwhile, DH also discloses that Fu Hong is pending both legal and disciplinary procedures because of its linkage to another herbal drug poisoning incident earlier on this March, involving the mixing up of Flos Campsis with Flos Daturae Metelis.
"The retailer volunteers to suspend operation temporarily to facilitate DH's investigation," the spokesman acknowledges the trader's responsible act.