CONCEALED ADMINISTRATION OF FRUSEMIDE SIMULATING BARTTER-SYNDROME IN A 4.5-YEAR-OLD BOY

A 4.5-year-old boy was admitted to three different hospitals because o f a tendency towards dehydration and polyuria, along with normal blood pressure, hypochloraemia, hypokalaemia, metabolic alkalosis and an im paired urinary concentrating ability, A renal biopsy failed to reveal juxtaglomerular hyperplasia. The clinical and laboratory findings fail ed to improve despite supplementation with potassium chloride and trea tment with indomethacin. The urine was found to contain frusemide, The parents denied any drug administration to the boy, The child is now d oing well more than I year after separation from his mother, Since ing estion of diuretic cannot be differentiated from true Bartter syndrome by blood and urinary electrolyte measurements alone, a diuretic scree n is warranted in children with findings consistent with Bartter syndr ome.