García FRLF, Pelaez PJC, Chia VNG

Language: Spanish
References: 6
Page: 374-378
PDF size: 212.92 Kb.

ABSTRACT

Background: In acute intoxication due to selenium there may be abdominal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, garlic breath, as well as cardiac symptoms and signs, such as tachycardia and hypotension. Brazil nut is marketed in several presentations, in some of them it is only indicated as a “source of selenium”, so maybe selenosis is more frequent than we imagine.
Clinical case: A 61-year-old female patient who presented to the emergency room with vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain accompanied by discomfort in the left hemithorax, with electrocardiographic alterations with ST-segment depression and troponin I elevation, with echocardiogram and coronary angiotomography without alterations. On direct questioning she claimed to have consumed in the previous days half to one Brazil nut seed per day to weight loss, after which, selenosis was diagnosed.
Conclusions: Selenosis should be suspected in all patients with vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain with or without other manifestations, due to the frequent commercialization of Brazil nut in the current globalization and the ease of acquiring it through digital sales.

REFERENCES

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