EMERGENCY TREATMENT OF NEONATAL HYPERAMMO NEMIA WITH LARGE DOSES OF GLUCOSE

In severe neonatal hyperammonemia, therapy must be started immediately to prevent irreversible CNS damage. Endogenous ammonia production can be quickly reduced if an anabolic condition is induced by means of hi gh-dose glucose infusion. We applied this treatment to four newborn in fants with hyperammonemia, this being a symptom of an inborn error of metabolism. The dangerous metabolic dysfunction was brought under cont rol without dialysis within 24-48 hours in all four patients.