Kava fatalities in MMWR
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Possibility of hepatic toxicity associated with use of kava products reported in CDC's Nov. 29 Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report. MMWR summarizes two case reports: the first involves a 45-year-old woman who underwent liver transplantation after being hospitalized for jaundice and hepatitis following regular use of a kava-containing dietary supplement; the second involves a 14-year-old girl diagnosed with scleral icterus and acute hepatitis following a four-month period of semi-regular kava use. FDA issued a consumer advisory on the botanical earlier this year (1"The Tan Sheet" April 1, 2002)...