The eucalyptus tree is a tropical tree with a range of uses. Eucalyptus oil is extracted from leaves and has a wide range of uses, including as an herbal medicine.
Eucalyptus oil is rich in cineole and also contains alpha-pinene, myrcene, fenchone, alpha-terpinolene and beta-terpinyl acetate.
Route of exposure: ingestion
Most victims are infants or young children.
Some patients are asymptomatic. The larger the ingestion the greater the risk of complications. An ingestion of 1.7 mL may be asymptomatic, while severe toxicity can above 7.5 mL.
Complications of ingestion may include:
(1) drowsiness or reduced level of consciousness, which may include coma
(2) abdominal pain
(3) vomiting
(4) ataxia
(5) seizures
(6) metabolic acidosis
Severe intoxications may be associated with respiratory depression, hypotension and acute kidney injury.
Oil from camphor laurel may be sold as eucalyptus oil but this contains camphor which has a different toxicity profile including a risk of seizures.
