Poinsettia

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Poinsettia

Definition:

Poisoning from contact with the sap of the plant or the eating of it.

Alternative Names:

Christmas flower; Lobster plant; Painted leaf

Poisonous Ingredient:

Often thought to be toxic, but toxicity rarely occurs.

Where Found:

leaves, stem, sap of the poinsettia plant

Symptoms:

skin
- irritation
- blistering
gastrointestinal
- abdominal pain
- nausea and/or vomiting
- diarrhea

Home Treatment:

Wash off skin if irritation is felt from exposure. Dilute with water or milk for ingestion. Contact Poison Control Center for appropriate treatment.

Before Calling Emergency:

Determine the following information:

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

Eating this plant does not usually result in a trip to the hospital.

What to expect at the emergency room:

Some or all of the following procedures may be performed:

induce vomiting
gastric lavage
monitor vital signs

Expectations (prognosis):

Very good. This plant is not considered very toxic.

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