Caladium

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Caladium

Definition:

Poisoning caused by consumption of plant material from the Caladium plant.

Alternative Names:

Alocasia; Angel wings; Colocasia; Heart of Jesus; Texas Wonder

Poisonous Ingredient:

oxalic acid
asparagine
a protein found in this plant

Note: Leaves and stems are the most dangerous if eaten in quantity.

Where Found:

caladium esculentum
caladium bicolor

Note: This list may not be all inclusive.

Symptoms:

body as a whole
- burning in mouth
- swelling of tongue
- swelling of mouth
eyes, ears, toes, and throat
- burning in throat
gastrointestinal
- nausea and/or vomiting
- diarrhea

Home Treatment:

Wipe out the mouth with a cold, wet cloth, and give milk to drink. Call Poison Control for more treatment information.

Before Calling Emergency:

Determine the following information:

the patient's age, weight, and condition
the name of the plant and the parts eaten
the amount swallowed
the time it was swallowed

Poison Control, or a local emergency number:

They will instruct you if it is necessary to take the patient to the hospital. See Poison Control centers for telephone numbers and addresses. Bring the plant with you to the emergency room for identification.

What to expect at the emergency room:

Treat the symptoms.

Expectations (prognosis):

Oxalate plants may cause swelling severe enough to block the airway, but this is very rare.

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