Abstract
Background
Bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) is sometimes used in complementary medicine practice for the treatment of chronic
ailments. However, there have been reports of toxicity due to consumption of bottle
gourd juice, leading to severe abdominal upset and upper gastrointestinal bleeding.
Case Report
We present a case of a 41-year-old gentleman who presented to the Emergency Department
with multiple episodes of vomiting, hematemesis, and diarrhea after consuming bottle
gourd juice. The patient was resuscitated and stabilized with fluids, proton pump
inhibitors, and antiemetics. He was subsequently admitted to the General Medicine
ward for further management. He continued to receive symptomatic treatment in the
ward and underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy during his hospitalization stay. His
symptoms improved and he was discharged stable 5 days later.
Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? Early recognition of this rare
presentation of bottle gourd toxicity is important in our local context, especially
where traditional medicine is widely prevalent nowadays. Treatment is supportive.
Public awareness of dangerous effects from the consumption of bitter bottle gourd
juice and complementary medicine without proper consultation with a practitioner plays
a crucial role to prevent further cases. Physicians need to advise patients on the
use of traditional medicine and their potential side effects.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: May 02, 2022
Accepted:
April 23,
2022
Received in revised form:
March 22,
2022
Received:
January 5,
2022
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 Published by Elsevier Inc.
