Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40433470›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in pediatrics2025

Case Report: Heavy metal poisoning and acute liver failure following use of a folk remedy in a child with a burn.

Bei-Bei Niu, Jing-Jing Xu, Wen-Wen Jiang, Xia Lin, Ling-Dong Zhu

Abstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in pediatrics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Bei-Bei NiuDepartment of Plastic and Burn Surgery, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University (Jinan Children's Hospital), Jinan, Shandong, China.
Jing-Jing XuDepartment of Plastic and Burn Surgery, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University (Jinan Children's Hospital), Jinan, Shandong, China.
Wen-Wen JiangDepartment of Plastic and Burn Surgery, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University (Jinan Children's Hospital), Jinan, Shandong, China.
Xia LinDepartment of Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University (Jinan Children's Hospital), Jinan, Shandong, China.
Ling-Dong ZhuDepartment of Plastic and Burn Surgery, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University (Jinan Children's Hospital), Jinan, Shandong, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introducion: Folk remedies for the treatment of burns are widely used in China, often due to the belief that they can prevent scarring. However, these remedies may contain complex and unregulated ingredients that can worsen wound conditions, increase infection risk, and lead to systemic heavy metal poisoning. Methods: We report the case of a 1-year-and-8-month-old boy with a burn injury who received treatment with a folk remedy. This treatment led to worsening wound edema and hospital admission. The child developed acute liver failure, requiring plasma exchange and surgical debridement. Laboratory analyses of blood, urine, wound samples, and the folk remedy identified high levels of heavy metals, including chromium, nickel, tin, and lead. Results: The toxicological risks associated with the heavy metal content in folk remedies significantly contributed to the patient's condition. Following standardized medical treatment, liver enzyme levels and coagulation function returned to normal, and the child made a full recovery after 37 days. Conclusion: This case highlights the serious health risks associated with the use of folk remedies in burn management, particularly the potential for wound aggravation and systemic heavy metal poisoning. Clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for heavy metal toxicity and apply early, targeted interventions. Furthermore, the optimization of treatment experience for heavy metal poisoning is crucial to improving outcomes for children affected by such exposure, and providing valuable insights for future cases.

Indexed as

burnfolk remedyheavy metal posioningliver failureplasma exchange (PE)surgery

Identifiers

PMID40433470
PMCPMC12106036

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.