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Interestingly, the nine patients who developed renal impairment had high serum creatinine concentrations and markedly elevated plasma glycolate concentrations at enrollment ( > 97.7 mg/dL). This tended to normalize within hours after the initiation of treatment with fomepizole. Treatment was continued until plasma ethylene glycol concentrations were less than 20 mg/dL.įifteen of the patients initially had acidosis. Seventeen patients who met specific criteria also underwent hemodialysis. Over a two-year period they collected data on 19 patients who met the definition of ethylene glycol poisoning and had a plasma ethylene glycol concentration of 20 mg/dL or more. Brent and associates studied the efficacy of fomepizole, a new inhibitor of alcohol dehydrogenase, in the treatment of ethylene glycol poisoning. Traditionally, treatment has focused on inhibition of alcohol dehydrogenase with intravenous or oral ethanol and adjunctive hemodialysis. N Engl J Med 1999 340:832-838.Įthylene glycol poisoning causes metabolic acidosis and renal failure and may cause death. Fomepizole for the treatment of ethylene glycol poisoning. The Antidote for Antifreeze, Something Old or Something New?
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