KINETICS AND METABOLISM OF CHLORAL HYDRATE IN CHILDREN - IDENTIFICATION OF DICHLOROACETATE AS A METABOLITE

Chloral hydrate was introduced into therapeutics more than 100 years a go, and since then a number of kinetic and metabolic studies have been conducted on this drug. Trichloroethanol, its glucuronide and trichlo roacetic acid have been identified as the metabolites of chloral hydra te. We now report the identification of dichloroacetate as a major pro duct of chloral hydrate metabolism in children, in addition to trichlo roethanol and trichloroacetic acid. Furthermore, pretreatment of child ren with chloral hydrate appears to retard the plasma clearance of dic hloroacetate. (C) 1997 Academic Press.