Abstract
A 20-month-old child received 25 brief halothane general anaesthetics over a five-week period to allow cranial irradiation treatments for a posterior fossa ependymoma. Personality change during the last week of the treatment protocol raised the question of possible bromide intoxication. Serum bromide concentrations, using a gold chloride assay technique, were monitored at that time, and at four- and six-week intervals thereafter. Serum bromide concentrations demonstrated a four-fold change during this period ranging from peak levels of 2.2 mEq · L−1 (176 μg · kg−1) during the fifth week of treatment decreasing to < 0.5 mEq · L−1 (< 40 μg · ml−1) six weeks following the end of treatments. This demonstrates the possibility for repetitive, short halothane exposures to result in elevations of serum bromide and the potential of bromide intoxication in paediatric neurooncology patients.
Résumé
Un enfant âgé de 20 mois a reçu 25 anesthésies générates de courte durée avec l’halothane pour une période de cinq semaines lors d’une thérapie de radiation crânienne pour un épendymome de la fosse postérieure. Des changements de la personnalité durant la dernière semaine du traitement ont amené à soulever la question d’une possibilité d’intoxication au bromure. Des concentrations de bromure sérique ont été surveillées à ce momentlà et à des intervalles de quatre et six semaines plus tard. Des concentrations de bromure sérique ont démontré une augmentation au quadruple pendant cette période s’étendant d’un peak de 2,2 mEq · L−1 (176 μg · ml−1) durant la cinquième semaine du traitement pour diminuer à < 0,05 mEq · L−1 (< 40 μg · ml−1) six semaines après le début des traitements. Ceci démontre la possibilité que des expositions répétitives de courte durée à l’halothane peuvent amener une élévation du bromure sérique qui peut être potentiellement toxique pour les patients pédiatriques admis en neurooncologie.
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Morrison, J.E., Friesen, R.H. Elevated serum bromide concentrations following repeated halothane anaesthesia in a child. Can J Anaesth 37, 801–803 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03006541
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03006541