BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuYew poisoningThe yew plant is a shrub with evergreen-like leaves. Yew poisoning occurs when someone eats pieces of this plant. The plant is most poisonous in winter.This article is for information only. DO NOT use it to treat or manage an actual poison exposure. If you or someone you are with has an exposure, call your local emergency number (such as 911), or your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. Poisonous Ingredient Poisonous ingredients include: Taxine Taxol Where Found Taxine is found in various kinds of the yew plant. The poison is in most parts of the yew plant, but the highest amount is in the seeds. Symptoms Symptoms may include:Altered mental status (stupor, confusion, decreased awareness) Blue-colored lips (cyanosis) Blue-colored lipsA bluish color to the skin or mucous membrane is usually due to a lack of oxygen in the blood. The medical term is cyanosis.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Breathing difficulty Breathing difficultyBreathing difficulty may involve:Difficult breathing Uncomfortable breathingFeeling like you are not getting enough airRead Article Now Book Mark Article Coma (unresponsiveness, lack of consciousness) ComaDecreased alertness is a state of reduced awareness and is often a serious condition. A coma is the most severe state of decreased alertness from whi...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Convulsions ConvulsionsA seizure is the physical changes in behavior that occurs during an episode of specific types of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. The term ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Diarrhea Dizziness DizzinessFever is the temporary increase in the body's temperature in response to a disease or illness. A child has a fever when the temperature is at or abov...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Enlarged (dilated) pupils Headache Muscle weakness Muscle weaknessWeakness is reduced strength in one or more muscles.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Nausea and vomiting Rapid collapse Slow, fast, or irregular heartbeat Slow, fast, or irregular heartbeatAn arrhythmia is a disorder of the heart rate (pulse) or heart rhythm. The heart can beat too fast (tachycardia), too slow (bradycardia), or irregul...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Stomach pain Stomach painAbdominal pain is pain that you feel anywhere between your chest and groin. This is often referred to as the stomach region or belly.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Tremor (shaking of the arms or legs) Home Care Seek immediate medical help. DO NOT make a person throw up unless told to do so by poison control or a health care provider. Before Calling Emergency Get the following information:Person's age, weight, and condition Name and part of the plant that was swallowed, if known Time it was swallowed Amount swallowed Poison Control Your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.Poison control centerFor a POISON EMERGENCY call:1-800-222-1222ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATESThis national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. This ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does not need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. What to Expect at the Emergency Room The provider will measure and monitor the person's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Symptoms will be treated as appropriate. The person may receive:Activated charcoal Blood and urine tests Breathing support, including oxygen through a tube through the mouth into the lungs, and a breathing machine ventilator) Chest x-ray ECG (electrocardiogram, or heart tracing) Fluids by IV (through the vein) Laxatives Medicines to treat symptoms Outlook (Prognosis) How well you do depends on the amount of poison swallowed and how quickly treatment is received. The faster you get medical help, the better the chance for recovery.Symptoms last for 1 to 3 days and may require a hospital stay. Death is unlikely.DO NOT touch or eat any plant with which you are not familiar. Wash your hands after working in the garden or walking in the woods.Open ReferencesReferencesAuerbach PS, Constance BB, Freer L. Toxic Plants. In: Auerbach PS, Constance BB, Freer L, eds. Field Guide to Wilderness Medicine. 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 40.Graeme KA. Toxic plant ingestions. In: Auerbach PS, Cushing TA, Harris NS, eds. Auerbach's Wilderness Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2017:chap 65.Lim CS, Aks SE. Plants, herbal medications, and mushrooms. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 153.Yarnell EL. Taxus brevifolia (Pacific yew). In: Pizzorno JE, Murray MT, eds. Textbook of Natural Medicine. 5th ed. St Louis, MO: Elsevier; 2021:chap 118.AllVideoImagesTogRelated Information Review Date: 11/2/2023 Reviewed By: Jesse Borke, MD, CPE, FAAEM, FACEP, Attending Physician at Kaiser Permanente, Orange County, CA. Also reviewed by David C. 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Yew poisoningThe yew plant is a shrub with evergreen-like leaves. Yew poisoning occurs when someone eats pieces of this plant. The plant is most poisonous in winter.This article is for information only. DO NOT use it to treat or manage an actual poison exposure. If you or someone you are with has an exposure, call your local emergency number (such as 911), or your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. Poisonous Ingredient Poisonous ingredients include: Taxine Taxol Where Found Taxine is found in various kinds of the yew plant. The poison is in most parts of the yew plant, but the highest amount is in the seeds. Symptoms Symptoms may include:Altered mental status (stupor, confusion, decreased awareness) Blue-colored lips (cyanosis) Blue-colored lipsA bluish color to the skin or mucous membrane is usually due to a lack of oxygen in the blood. The medical term is cyanosis.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Breathing difficulty Breathing difficultyBreathing difficulty may involve:Difficult breathing Uncomfortable breathingFeeling like you are not getting enough airRead Article Now Book Mark Article Coma (unresponsiveness, lack of consciousness) ComaDecreased alertness is a state of reduced awareness and is often a serious condition. A coma is the most severe state of decreased alertness from whi...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Convulsions ConvulsionsA seizure is the physical changes in behavior that occurs during an episode of specific types of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. The term ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Diarrhea Dizziness DizzinessFever is the temporary increase in the body's temperature in response to a disease or illness. A child has a fever when the temperature is at or abov...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Enlarged (dilated) pupils Headache Muscle weakness Muscle weaknessWeakness is reduced strength in one or more muscles.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Nausea and vomiting Rapid collapse Slow, fast, or irregular heartbeat Slow, fast, or irregular heartbeatAn arrhythmia is a disorder of the heart rate (pulse) or heart rhythm. The heart can beat too fast (tachycardia), too slow (bradycardia), or irregul...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Stomach pain Stomach painAbdominal pain is pain that you feel anywhere between your chest and groin. This is often referred to as the stomach region or belly.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Tremor (shaking of the arms or legs) Home Care Seek immediate medical help. DO NOT make a person throw up unless told to do so by poison control or a health care provider. Before Calling Emergency Get the following information:Person's age, weight, and condition Name and part of the plant that was swallowed, if known Time it was swallowed Amount swallowed Poison Control Your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.Poison control centerFor a POISON EMERGENCY call:1-800-222-1222ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATESThis national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. This ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does not need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. What to Expect at the Emergency Room The provider will measure and monitor the person's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Symptoms will be treated as appropriate. The person may receive:Activated charcoal Blood and urine tests Breathing support, including oxygen through a tube through the mouth into the lungs, and a breathing machine ventilator) Chest x-ray ECG (electrocardiogram, or heart tracing) Fluids by IV (through the vein) Laxatives Medicines to treat symptoms Outlook (Prognosis) How well you do depends on the amount of poison swallowed and how quickly treatment is received. The faster you get medical help, the better the chance for recovery.Symptoms last for 1 to 3 days and may require a hospital stay. Death is unlikely.DO NOT touch or eat any plant with which you are not familiar. Wash your hands after working in the garden or walking in the woods.Open ReferencesReferencesAuerbach PS, Constance BB, Freer L. Toxic Plants. In: Auerbach PS, Constance BB, Freer L, eds. Field Guide to Wilderness Medicine. 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 40.Graeme KA. Toxic plant ingestions. In: Auerbach PS, Cushing TA, Harris NS, eds. Auerbach's Wilderness Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2017:chap 65.Lim CS, Aks SE. Plants, herbal medications, and mushrooms. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 153.Yarnell EL. Taxus brevifolia (Pacific yew). In: Pizzorno JE, Murray MT, eds. Textbook of Natural Medicine. 5th ed. St Louis, MO: Elsevier; 2021:chap 118.