Interestingly, the nine patients who developed renal impairment had high serum creatinine concentrations and markedly elevated plasma glycolate concentrations at enrollment ( > 97.7 mg/dL). This tended to normalize within hours after the initiation of treatment with fomepizole. Treatment was continued until plasma ethylene glycol concentrations were less than 20 mg/dL.įifteen of the patients initially had acidosis. Seventeen patients who met specific criteria also underwent hemodialysis. Over a two-year period they collected data on 19 patients who met the definition of ethylene glycol poisoning and had a plasma ethylene glycol concentration of 20 mg/dL or more. Brent and associates studied the efficacy of fomepizole, a new inhibitor of alcohol dehydrogenase, in the treatment of ethylene glycol poisoning. Traditionally, treatment has focused on inhibition of alcohol dehydrogenase with intravenous or oral ethanol and adjunctive hemodialysis. N Engl J Med 1999 340:832-838.Įthylene glycol poisoning causes metabolic acidosis and renal failure and may cause death.

Fomepizole for the treatment of ethylene glycol poisoning. The Antidote for Antifreeze, Something Old or Something New?

Ethylene glycol antidote