Case report
A 4-year-old, 10 kg African girl (AG) was admitted at Gweru General Hospital
on 15 April 1999 as a referral from a rural district hospital in Gokwe. The child
together with her brother, aged 7 years, had collected some beetles, roasted them
and ingested an unspeci®ed number on 12 April (day 1). Both children after
ingestion, had vomited and were looking lethargic when the parents found them.
They were taken to the district hospital on the next day. The elder of the two
had deteriorated and died on arrival to the hospital. No autopsy was performed
as the hospital had no mortuary and no resident medical ocer to refer the body
for a post-mortem. AG was admitted at the hospital displaying lethargy and
passing small amounts of blood-stained urine. She was initially treated with half-
strength Darrow's with dextrose solution, 30 ml for 3 h then 15 ml/h thereafter, as
well as hydrocortisone 5 ml stat before being transferred to the provincial hospital
in Gweru on day 4, when her condition was not improving.