A Fatal Case Report of Chenopodium ambrosioides L. (M’khinza) Intoxication

Abstract

Chenopodium ambrosioides L. is a plant belonging to the Chenopodiaceae family, known for its use in traditional medicine as a remedy for its antiseptic, analgesic, antipyretic, antispasmodic, and anti-inflammatory properties. It is used for its therapeutic properties internally as an infusion or externally as a vermifuge. Its use can be responsible for serious, even fatal, side effects and intoxications, particularly in infants and children. These may include neurological, digestive, hepatic, or renal complications. We present a case of Chenopodium ambrosioides L. intoxication in a four-year-old girl, resulting from repeated high-dose infusions of this plant for antipyretic purposes. She was admitted to the pediatric emergency department for management of a disorder of consciousness four hours after ingesting Chenopodium ambrosioides L. to treat acute fever.