Severe coagulopathy complicating charcoal hemoperfusion in children with Reye syndrome

Disseminated intravascular coagulation due to intravenous administration of hetastarch

Disseminated intravascular coagulation occurred in a patient after intravenous administration of hetastarch. The onset was acute within 3 hours after exposure to the agent and the course was fulminating. The patient died in 48 hours. Clinical, hematologic, and pathologic features are presented and possible pathophysiologic mechanism is discussed. In view of this experience and documented effects of hetastarch on coagulation, the use of hetastarch should be avoided if the patient has a history of coagulation disorder, and the patient receiving the agent should be closely monitored with appropriate coagulation tests.

Hemoperfusion in a child who ingested diquat and died from pontine infarction and hemorrhage

A 2 1/2 year old boy accidentally ingested the herbicide diquat. Progressive neurologic dysfunction preceded his death 143 hours after poisoning. Brain stem infarction and purpura were noted at post mortem and closely resembled the brain stem pathology in 3 of 7 adults who died after diquat ingestion. Renal, gastrointestinal and pulmonary involvement in this child also resembled that seen in adults after ingestion of diquat. Hemoperfusion was performed six times in an effort to lower the body diquat burden. Cellulose-coated, activated charcoal was first employed 40 hours postingestion and removed diquat from serum with clearances of 104 and 39 ml/minute at the initiation of hemoperfusion and 6 hours later, respectively. Serum diquat concentrations decreased rapidly during charcoal hemoperfusion. However, marked rebound in serum diquat concentrations were noted between charcoal treatments, indicating extensive sequestration of diquat by tissues. Thrombocytopenia and hypocalcemia, the major complications of charcoal hemoperfusion, were easily treated. Unlike charcoal, Amberlite XAD-4 resin hemoperfusion did not remove diquat from serum. Charcoal hemoperfusion may temporarily reduce serum diquat concentrations. Whether the early institution and daily performance of charcoal hemoperfusion will minimize diquat-induced damage to brain and other organs is not clear from this case and will only be determined in future studies.

Reye syndrome: a predictably curable disease

Seventeen years after the initial description of this syndrome of hepatic failure and encephalopathy, the etiology and pathophysiology are still not well defined. Clinical staging of the disease proposed by Lovejoy and colleagues is helpful and is recommended as a standard to be followed by referring physicians and hospital-based pediatricians and intensivists. A new classification based on the status of intracranial pressure and unrelated to clinical, laboratory, or EEG staging is presented.

Treatment of an infant with severe chloramphenicol intoxication using charcoal-column hemoperfusion

A 3,200 gm 12-day-old male infant with complex urologic problems underwent charcoal hemoperfusion for severe accidental chloramphenicol intoxication. Immediately prior to CH, with a serum chloramphenicol level of 98 micrograms/ml, the child was in profound shock, ashen-gray, hypothermic, and acidotic. Chloramphenicol levels indicated virtually complete removal of this drug by the CH column. Three hours of CH treatment resulted in a reduction of the chloramphenicol level to 13.5 micrograms/ml and complete reversal of the described clinical syndrome. No serious complications of CH were encountered. We conclude that chloramphenicol poisoning is treatable by CH and that this therapeutic modality may be safely carried out in infants and small children.