scholarly journals Response to “Ethylene glycol poisoning: A diagnostic challenge in a patient with persistent seizures and a severe metabolic acidosis”

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 263
Author(s):  
Michael E. Mullins ◽  
Jeffrey A. Kraut
2015 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 282-284
Author(s):  
Otilia-Elena Frasinariu ◽  
◽  
Aniela Rugina ◽  
Cristina Jitareanu ◽  
Radu Russu ◽  
...  

Ethylene glycol is one of the most toxic alcohols; it may be accidentally or intentionally consumed as a substitute for ethanol or related to suicidal attempts. Ingestion of ethylene glycol causes a severe metabolic acidosis with increased anion and osmotic gap due to its toxic metabolites, leading to a clinical picture of central nervous system depression, cardiovascular and renal impairment. A 16-year-old boy was admitted with clinical and biological signs of ethylene glycol poisoning after simultaneous ingestion of antifreeze and ethanol. The patient had mild anion gap metabolic acidosis only at the debut, rapidly corrected with one dose of sodium bicarbonate; further evaluation did not reveal acidosis, even if the subsequent evolution included acute renal failure requiring hemodialysis. Due to the absence of a positive history and of a persistent metabolic acidosis, the diagnosis of ethylene glycol poisoning was delayed until it was confirmed by serum toxicological test. Conclusions: concomitant ingestion of ethanol may mask the symptoms of ethylene glycol poisoning; the absence of persistent metabolic acidosis does not rule out the diagnosis.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linn E. Hauvik ◽  
Mercy Varghese ◽  
Erik W. Nielsen

Ethylene glycol poisoning is a medical emergency. The metabolites glycolate and glyoxylate give metabolic acidosis. Because of similar structure, these metabolites are misinterpreted as lactate by many point-of-care blood gas analyzers. The falsely high lactate values can lead to misdiagnosis, inappropriate laparotomies, and delayed antidotal therapy. As laboratory analyzers measure plasma lactate only, the difference or the “lactate gap” aids in early diagnosis. We present a patient with severe metabolic acidosis and elevated lactate levels on the point-of-care analyzer. A lactate gap supported the diagnosis of ethylene glycol poisoning. Hemodialysis and fomepizole treatment could be started immediately.


2022 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kentaro Ukita ◽  
Kanako Otomune ◽  
Ryo Fujimoto ◽  
Kanako Hasegawa ◽  
Koichi Izumikawa ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantin Vladimirovich Sivak ◽  
Mikhail Mikhailovich Lyubishin ◽  
Elena Yur’evna Kalinina

T The aim of the article. The aim of this study was to evaluation of the effectiveness of standard antidote therapy and dimephosphon administration in rats with acute ethylene glycol poisoning. The tasks of the study included modeling acute ethylene glycol poisoning in rats, conducting experimental therapy with ethanol antidote in combination with sodium bicarbonate and dimephosphon therapy, comparing the effectiveness of drugs in relation to indicators of acid-base state impairment and renal function. Materials and methods. Ethylene glycol (EG) was administered per os to Wistar male rats (190-210 g b.w.) at a single dose of 6 mL / kg b.w. through an atraumatic gastric tube. The animals were divided into 4 groups of 6 individuals each: intact (negative control), EG poisoning (positive control), EG + standard antidote therapy, EG + dimephosphon therapy. Experimental therapy was carried out for first 24 hours using standard antidote therapy: ethanol (30% solution 2 mL / kg b.w. i.p. after 1, 4, 6, 12, 18 hours) and sodium bicarbonate (4% solution 6 mL / kg b.w. i.p. 3 times on the first day), as well as administration of dimephosphon (150 mg / kg i.p. 3 times on the first day, 450 mg / kg b.w. per day). Daily urine on day 3 after poisoning was collected in metabolic cages. Creatinine concentration in urine and blood serum samples were measured, and creatinine clearance was calculated. After 24 hours of therapy, the pH, level of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chlorides, bicarbonates, lactate, d-3-hydroxybutyrate, albumin, urea and creatinine (measured parameters) were determined in venous blood samples. Anion gap, ∆рН, ∆AG, ∆HCO3, ∆AG/∆HCO3 and ∆Gap were calculated. The mechanism of death was determined for the dead animals. Data processing was performed using GraphPad Prism 6.0. Results. Acute poisoning of rats with ethylene glycol leads to the development of toxic encephalopathy and nephropathy, acid-base abnormalities, high anion gap metabolic acidosis due to the presence of metabolites, as well as lactate-ketoacidosis due to depression of the central nervous system and hunger. 100% of the EG-treated (12 mL / kg b.w.) animals died within 3 days. Metabolic acidosis in combination with hypermagnesemia had provided a cardiodepressive effect, which with direct nephrotoxic and neurotoxic effects contributed to the development of a mixed variant of thanatogenesis and death. Death comes from toxic encephalopathy and nephropathy, high anion gap metabolic acidosis caused by direct nephrotoxic and neurotoxic effects of EG and its metabolites. The standard antidote therapy with ethanol in combination with sodium bicarbonate prevented a pH shift, lactic acidosis and ketoacidosis, an increase in urea, but did not affect the level of bicarbonate (p=0.048), creatinine and its clearance (p=0.037) and the anion gap (p=0.033). The dimephosphon therapy prevented a decrease in creatinine clearance and blood bicarbonate level, limited the increase in lactate dehydrogenase activity, had a more pronounced effect on the AG and ∆AG (p=0.042), but did not affect the hypocalcemia (p=0.0076) and hypoalbuminemia (p=0.021). Conclusion. Acute ethylene glycol poisoning leads to the development of a mixed variant of thanatogenesis with damage to the central nervous and urinary systems, as well as the heart. Autopsy and histopathology confirmed the cause of animal death. In the model at a dose of 6 mL / kg of EG the dimephosphon therapy was more conducive to the correction of the main markers of high anion gap metabolic acidosis (HAGMA) than standard antidote therapy (both measured and calculated, p0.05). The dimephosphon therapy prevented a decrease in creatinine clearance. A comparative analysis of two methods for the correction of high anion gap metabolic acidosis in rats in acute poisoning with ethylene glycol showed that dimephosphon therapy vs. standard antidote therapy had a stronger effect on markers of metabolic acidosis and renal impairment.


Cureus ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moeed Ahmed ◽  
Cliff Janikowski ◽  
Syed Huda ◽  
Aiza Ahmad ◽  
Lee Morrow

1992 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 234-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
James A. Kruse

Commonly available as automotive antifreeze, ethylene glycol can cause toxicity and death if ingested. It is metabolized to several aldehyde and acid intermediates that can cause severe metabolic acidosis, central nervous system derangements, cardiorespiratory failure, and acute renal failure. A presumptive diagnosis can often be made by assessment of the anion gap and the osmol gap and the finding of metabolic acidosis. Corroborating findings include oxalate crystalluria and urine that fluoresces on exposure to ultraviolet light. Recognition is important because there are specific treatment methods available. Therapy consists of administering sodium bicarbonate to counter the acidosis, ethanol to slow the generation of toxic metabolites, and vitamin cofactors, which may speed detoxification of these intermediates. Hemodialysis is employed to remove both ethylene glycol and its metabolites, to correct the acidbase disturbances, and as treatment for acute renal failure.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Eugene M. Tan ◽  
Ejaaz Kalimullah ◽  
M. Rizwan Sohail ◽  
Kannan Ramar

The approach to the patient with acute renal failure and elevated anion and osmolal gap is difficult. Differential diagnoses include toxic alcohol ingestion, diabetic or starvation ketoacidosis, or 5-oxoproline acidosis. We present a 76-year-old female with type 2 diabetes mellitus, who was found at home in a confused state. Laboratory analysis revealed serum pH 6.84, bicarbonate 5.8 mmol/L, pCO2 29 mmHg, anion gap 22.2 mmol/L, osmolal gap 17.4 mOsm/kg, elevated beta-hydroxybutyrate (4.2 mmol/L), random blood sugar 213 mg/dL, creatinine 2.1 mg/dL, and potassium 7.5 mmol/L with no electrocardiogram (EKG) changes. Fomepizole and hemodialysis were initiated for presumed ethylene glycol or methanol ingestion. Drug screens returned negative for ethylene glycol, alcohols, and acetaminophen, but there were elevated urine levels of acetone (11 mg/dL). The acetaminophen level was negative, and 5-oxoproline was not analyzed. After 5 days in the intensive care unit (ICU), her mental status improved with supportive care. She was discharged to a nursing facility. Though a diagnosis was not established, our patient’s presentation was likely due to starvation ketosis combined with chronic acetaminophen ingestion. Acetone ingestion is less likely. Overall, our case illustrates the importance of systematically approaching an elevated osmolal and anion gap metabolic acidosis.


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