Innsbruck Doctors Report Cardiac Arrest in 22-Year-Old After Consuming Kratom Tea

The plant's primary active ingredient is mitragynine, an alkaloid that acts on opioid receptors in the brain. In the documented case, the Innsbruck physicians were able to detect mitragynine concentrations in the patient's blood that they linked directly to the life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias.

After two successful resuscitations and intensive medical care, the cardiologists implanted a permanent pacemaker in the young man. Without this device, according to the treating physicians, there would have been acute danger to life, as the heart's electrical conduction system was permanently impaired.

Treatment and Consequences for the Patient

Following acute treatment, the patient was informed about the risks of kratom. The physicians pointed out to him that the substance is neither marketable as a medication nor as an approved dietary supplement in Austria and in large parts of the European Union.

The treating physicians see this case as clear evidence that the freely available sale of kratom products on the internet poses a serious health risk. They call for broader education about side effects, particularly the cardiac risks.

Regulatory Warnings in Europe and the United States

In the United States, kratom has been under intensified scrutiny for years: the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns of severe liver injury, seizures, and respiratory depression. Germany's Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) is also monitoring the increasing spread of kratom products and points to the lack of quality and safety standards.

Experts emphasize that kratom products from online shops frequently lack both declared active ingredient quantities and purity testing. Contamination with heavy metals or other alkaloids could further increase the risk.

Physicians' Demands

In the authors' assessment, the Innsbruck case is not an isolated incident but fits into a pattern of increasing reports of cardiac complications following kratom use. They advocate for the systematic recording of poisoning cases and for emergency rooms to specifically ask about kratom consumption.

In Tyrol and across the country, Austria's Federal Ministry of Health urgently advises against consuming kratom-containing products. Pharmacists and addiction counseling centers are reporting an increasing number of inquiries from concerned relatives whose family members have ordered kratom online.