Abstract
We report a 4-year-old boy, in acute renal failure, who had acute encephalopathy with very high serum aluminium levels (135 μg/l [5μmol/l]) after receiving vesical irrigations with alum. We believe that in situations of non-focal neurological deterioration with no apparent cause in patients with impaired renal function receiving aluminium-containing preparations, the possibility of acute aluminium poisoning should be considered.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alfrey AC (1983) Aluminum. Adv Clin Chem 23: 69–91
Alfrey AC (1986) Dialysis encephalopathy. Kidney Int 29: S53-S57
Andreoli SP, Bergstein JM, Sherrard DJ (1984) Aluminum intoxication from aluminum-containing phosphate binders in children with azotemia not undergoing hemodialysis. N Engl J Med 310: 1079–1084
Arze RS, Parkinson IS, Cartlidge NEF, Britton P, Ward MK (1981) Reversal of aluminium dialysis encephalopathy after desferrioxamine treatment. Lancet II: 1116
Bakir AA, Hryhorczuk DO, Berman E, Dunea G (1986) Acute fatal hyperaluminemic encephalopathy in undialyzed and recently dialyzed uremic patients. ASAIO Trans 32: 171–176
Berry PL, Belsha CW (1990) Hyponatremia. Pediatr Clin North Am 37: 351–363
Campistol JM, Cases A, Botey A, Revert A (1989) Acute aluminum encephalopathy in an uremic patient. Nephron 51: 103–106
Cumming AD, Simpson G, Bell D, Cowie J, Winney RJ (1982) Acute aluminium intoxication in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. Lancet I: 103–104
Kavoussi LR, Gelstein LD, Andriole GL (1986) Encephalopathy and an elevated serum aluminum level in a patient receiving intravesical alum irrigation for severe urinary hemorrhage. J Urol 136: 665–667
Kennedy C, Snell ME, Witherow (1984) Use of alum to control intractable vesical haemorrhage. Br J Urol 56: 673–675
Lentz RD, Brown DM, Kjellstrand CM (1978) Treatment of severe hypophosphatemia. Ann Intern Med 89: 941
Milliner DS, Shinaberger JH, Shuman P, Coburn JW (1985) Inadvertent aluminum administration during plasma exchange due to aluminum contamination of albumin replacement solutions. N Engl J Med 312: 165–167
Modi KB, Paterson PJ (1988) Alum irrigation in massive bladder hemorrhage in severe renal failure. Am J Kidney Dis 12: 233–235
Ostroff EF, Chenault OW (1982) Alum irrigation for the control of massive bladder hemorrhage. J Urol 128: 929
Wills MR, Savory J (1983) Aluminium poisoning: dialysis encephalopathy, osteomalacia and anaemia. Lancet I: 29–33
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Moreno, A., Domínguez, P., Domínguez, C. et al. High serum aluminium levels and acute reversible encephalopathy in a 4-year-old boy with acute renal failure. Eur J Pediatr 150, 513–514 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01958436
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01958436