Severe iron intoxication treated with exchange transfusion. Issue 4 (20th March 2008)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Carlsson, M; Cortes, D; Jepsen, S; Kanstrup, T
• Is Part Of: Archives of disease in childhood. Volume 93:Issue 4(2008)
• Page Start: 321
• Page End: 322
• Publication Date: 2008-03-20
• Subjects: Children -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Infants -- Diseases -- Periodicals; 618.920005
• DOI: 10.1136/adc.2007.123240
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0003-9888

Abstract

Abstract : An 18-month-old previous healthy girl who had ingested 442 mg elemental iron/kg was admitted to a paediatric intensive care unit. The child was treated with gastric lavage, whole bowel irrigation and intravenous deferoxamine. After 2 h of standard therapy serum iron had risen threefold to 1362 μg/dl (244 μmol/l). The child was treated with exchange transfusion (ET; 52 ml/kg) and serum iron fell to 134 μg/dl (24 μmol/l). The patient made an uncomplicated recovery. ET should be considered in severe iron poisoning when standard therapy is inadequate.