EFFICACY OF 4-METHYLPYRAZOLE IN ETHYLENE-GLYCOL POISONING - CLINICAL AND TOXICOKINETIC ASPECTS

Potentially fatal ethylene glycol intoxication in an adult with normal renal function was treated with 4-methylpyrazole administered three h ours after the incident occurred. The plasma ethylene glycol concentra tion was 3.5 g l-1 on admission. The metabolic acidosis present on adm ission resolved within four hours, and the subsequent clinical course was uneventful. The apparent plasma half-life of ethylene glycol was 1 6 h and the mean renal and plasma clearances of ethylene glycol were 2 4 and 25 ml min-1, respectively. These results support the hypothesis that complete blockade of hepatic metabolism of ethylene glycol is ach ieved by 4-methylpyrazole, The only side-effect observed as a result o f treatment was a transient slight increase in serum transaminase acti vity.