TETANY, HYPERPHOSPHATEMIA AND HYPOCALCEMI A AFTER A PHOSPHATE ENEMA

A 3 4/12-year-old boy with normal renal function was seen for chronic constipation and treated with an adult-size phosphate enema. Shortly a fterwards, he became somnolent and developed severe hyperphosphatemia with hypocalcemia and tetany, hypernatremia and metabolic acidosis. In travenous fluids and calcium gluconate were given; tetany disappeared rapidly, the mental status improved and most serum electrolytes normal ized within one day. This report demonstrates that phosphate enemas ar e not only inappropriate for small children, they are outright dangero us.