A person who has eaten wild mushrooms should be asked a number of questions that can help determine the severity of the intoxication.
Questions
Comments
How many different types of wild mushrooms were consumed?
more than one type may obscure the significance of the latency period
How many different meals with wild mushrooms have been eaten in the last few days?
multiple meals may obscure the latency period
How long was the interval (latency period) between eating mushrooms and the onset of symptoms?
short latency period (less than 2 hours) suggest less toxic ingestion; long latency periods (more than 6 hours) suggest risk of serious intoxication
What were the initial symptoms?
see individual syndromes
Did symptoms start after drinking alcohol?
suspect Coprinus syndrome
Did everyone who ate mushrooms get sick?
if no, then suspect another cause such as food allergy; look for any differences in the exposure
Did everyone who got sick eat mushrooms?
if no, then suspect food poisoning or other toxin; however, make sure that these persons were not exposed to the mushrooms while cooking or to water used to cook the mushrooms
Had the mushrooms been stored for some time before being eaten?
suspect spoilage
Were the mushrooms collected near a farm, golf course, city park, highway or a treated lawn?
suspect pesticide or chemical exposure
Do deer or other large mammals live in the area where the mushrooms were collected?
suspect tularemia or other zoonosis
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