Fatal fulminant hepatic failure induced by a natural therapy containing kava

Paul J Gow,* Nathan J Connelly,† Richard L Hill,‡ Peter Crowley,§ Peter W Angus¶

2 Department of Gastroenterology and Liver Transplantation
3 Department of Anatomical Pathology, Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre, Studley Road, Heidelberg, VIC 3084
4 Adverse Drug Reactions Unit, Therapeutic Goods Administration, Canberra.

Correspondence: paul.gow@armc.org.au

1. Gow PJ, Connelly NJ, Hill RL, et al. Fatal fulminant hepatic failure induced by a natural therapy containing kava. Med J Aust 2003; 178: 442-443. <eMJA full text>
2. Stickel F, Baumuller HM, Seitz K, et al. Hepatitis induced by Kava (Piper methysticum rhizoma). J Hepatol 2003; 39: 62-67.
3. Singh YN, Devkota AK. Aqueous kava extracts do not affect liver function tests in rats. Planta Med 2003; 69: 496-499.
4. Haddad LM, Shannon MW, Winchester JF. Clinical management of poisoning and drug overdose. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: WB Saunders Co, 1998.

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