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Oklahoma City - Mushrooms will soon begin to make their appearance. It is hard to tell the difference between a poisonous mushroom and those that are safe to eat. Because proper identification is so difficult, the Oklahoma Poison Control Center recommends treating all wild mushroom exposures as potentially poisonous.
Misleading tips abound on how to tell whether a mushroom is poisonous. Having bright flashy colors, becoming black when touched by silverware or an onion, a horrible taste and smell, and being safe if cooked long enough are just a few mistaken beliefs.
In reality, there are no simple guidelines to identify poisonous mushrooms. The only foolproof rule for preventing mushroom poisoning is to stay away. Even very experienced wild mushroom gatherers are sometimes poisoned, despite being well aware of the risks.
Prevention is the best defense against mushroom poisoning. “If you find a mushroom in your yard, knock it over and place it in the trash,” said Kim Stanton, a pharmacist with the Oklahoma Poison Control Center. “Parents should remove any wild mushrooms around the house or garden.” Mushrooms are poisonous if eaten but they are not poisonous to touch.
Most calls received at the center are from parents whose young children have sampled a wild mushroom right out of the yard. Parents must teach their children never to eat a mushroom unless it is purchased at the grocery store. Many children develop nausea and vomiting within six hours after eating a mushroom. Other early symptoms include stomach cramps and watery or bloody diarrhea. Symptoms of the most toxic mushroom poisonings take longer to develop. These poisonings can cause liver and/or kidney problems. There is no antidote available for mushroom poisoning. Good medical care is essential to treating these mushroom ingestions.
If you suspect someone has eaten a mushroom, call the Oklahoma Poison Control Center (800-222-1222) or your physician right away. Don’t wait for symptoms to occur; the victim may need to be taken to an emergency room for observation and treatment. Collect the remainder of any mushrooms that have been eaten, including the base, which may still be buried in the ground. The same types of mushrooms may not grow together; therefore, just because a child gets sick early doesn’t mean there wasn’t a more deadly mushroom in the group as well. If there is more than one variety at the location, collect a sample of each. Place the mushroom in a paper bag, basket or open container. The samples should be kept cool, but do not freeze them or use plastic containers or bags, which cause mushrooms to spoil. Take the mushrooms with you to the emergency room. If the victim has vomited, collect the vomited material to assist in proper identification. Quick reaction to any wild mushroom ingestion is the key to successful management of mushroom poisoning.
The poison center is staffed 24 hours a day by specially trained pharmacists and registered nurses. All calls are free and confidential. The Oklahoma Poison Control Center is a program of the University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy at OU Health Sciences Center.
The Oklahoma Poison Control Center web site is provided free of charge to the public as an informational and educational tool. This web site is NOT intended as a substitute for a consultation with the Oklahoma Poison Control Center. The center is a statewide program operated by The University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy in cooperation with Children's Hospital at the OU Medical Center. Our pharmacists and nurses are specially trained poison experts available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.