Pufferfish Poisoning

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• Pufferfish Poisoning Facts
• Pufferfish Poisoning Symptoms
• Pufferfish Poisoning Treatment
• When to Seek Medical Care

• The poison found in pufferfish, blowfish, balloon fish, toads, sunfish, porcupine fish, toadfish, globefish, and swellfish is a tetrodotoxin.
• This is one of the most toxic poisons found in nature.
• Most people who eat pufferfish do so intentionally as pufferfish are considered an Asian delicacy, served in some types of sushi and sashimi.
• Unless the chef is specially trained to cut the meat in a particular fashion, however, the dish may contain a large amount of the toxin. Pufferfish poisoning is similar to paralytic shellfish poisoning.

• Symptoms generally occur 10-45 minutes after eating the pufferfish poison and begin with numbness and tingling around the mouth, salivation, nausea, and vomiting.
• Symptoms may progress to paralysis, loss of consciousness, and respiratory failure, and can lead to death.

• Vomiting should be induced if the poisoned person is awake and alert and has eaten the fish within 3 hours.
• The person may become paralyzed. Artificial respirations may keep the person alive until medical attention in a hospital's emergency department is possible.
• Rapidly turn the person onto his or her side if vomiting occurs.

Seek medical treatment as soon as possible.

Medically reviewed by John A. Daller, MD; American Board of Surgery with subspecialty certification in surgical critical care

REFERENCE:

MedscapeReference. Tetrodotoxin Toxicity.

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