Abstract Background and Objective: Despite certain palliative applications of Datura stramonium in traditional medicine, unsupervised use, abuse, recreational consumption, and accidental ingestion—particularly among children—are among the major causes of poisoning with this plant. Investigating the epidemiological characteristics and clinical manifestations of this poisoning can play an important role in designing preventive strategies and increasing public awareness.


Methods: This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the demographic and epidemiological characteristics, clinical manifestations at emergency department presentation, and length of hospital stay among patients with Datura poisoning over a 10-year period (2013–2023) at Imam Reza Hospital, Mashhad, Iran. Data were retrospectively extracted from patients’ medical records. The sample consisted of 47 patients. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 23, applying the independent t-test and chi-square test. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.


Results: A total of 47 patients were included in the study, of whom 37 (78.7%) were male. The most common cause of exposure was accidental ingestion (40.4%). Leaves were the most frequently consumed part of the plant (74.5%), and oral intake was the most common route of exposure (61.7%). The highest frequency of poisoning cases occurred in summer and autumn (36.2% each). Agitation was the most common clinical finding (74.5%). Two patients (4.3%) developed severe rhabdomyolysis with CPK levels >5000 mg/dL. The mean length of hospital stay was 1.66 days, and no deaths were reported.