For a stool culture, the lab will need a fresh or refrigerated sample of stool. The best samples are of loose, fresh stool; well-formed stool is rarely positive for disease-causing bacteria. Sometimes, more than one stool will be collected for a culture. Swabs from a child's rectum also can be tested for viruses.
Miraa- is a plant whose fresh leaves and soft twigs are chewed to release a juice containing cathinone and cathine, the active chemicals that alter the mood of the abuser. Catha edulis appears to have originated in Ethiopia. It spread early on to Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea and the Arabian Peninsula.
Toxicity studies in rats suggest that chronic C. zeylanicum ingestion (90 days) may cause hepatic damage (reduction in liver weight) and a significant decrease in hemoglobin levels . Urge the patient to report unusual signs or symptoms. Cinnamon toxicity involves the GI tract, CNS, and CV system. Inform the patient that squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue has been linked to prolonged and heavy gum chewing (five packs/day) of cinnamon-flavored gum in one case report .