OBJECTIVE: To report four cases of carboxyhemoglobinemia associated with high doses of sodium nitroprusside after cardiac transplant in children. PATIENTS: Four children in the pediatric care unit of a university hospital aged 6 months-4 years. Carboxyhemoglonemia developed at levels of 5.5-7.7% in patients receiving high doses of sodium nitroprusside (7-16 microg/kg per minute and no other medication that could caused elevated carboxyhemoglobin). One patient died, and three recovered with no sequelae after discontinuation of sodium nitroprusside. CONCLUSIONS: High doses of sodium nitroprusside can induce carboxyhemoglobinemia in children after heart transplant, probably by inducing hemeoxygenase, with no other secondary effects.
OBJECTIVE: To report four cases of carboxyhemoglobinemia associated with high doses of sodium nitroprusside after cardiac transplant in children. PATIENTS: Four children in the pediatric care unit of a university hospital aged 6 months-4 years. Carboxyhemoglonemia developed at levels of 5.5-7.7% in patients receiving high doses of sodium nitroprusside (7-16 microg/kg per minute and no other medication that could caused elevated carboxyhemoglobin). One patient died, and three recovered with no sequelae after discontinuation of sodium nitroprusside. CONCLUSIONS: High doses of sodium nitroprusside can induce carboxyhemoglobinemia in children after heart transplant, probably by inducing hemeoxygenase, with no other secondary effects.
Authors: Peter Andrews; Elie Azoulay; Massimo Antonelli; Laurent Brochard; Christian Brun-Buisson; Geoffrey Dobb; Jean-Yves Fagon; Herwig Gerlach; Johan Groeneveld; Jordi Mancebo; Philipp Metnitz; Stefano Nava; Jerome Pugin; Michael Pinsky; Peter Radermacher; Christian Richard; Robert Tasker Journal: Intensive Care Med Date: 2006-02-18 Impact factor: 17.440