Heliox use in the treatment of acute hyperammonemia

The objective of this study was to evaluate a new method for the treatment of acute hyperammonemia with a helium-oxygen mixture (heliox). We conducted a prospective, randomized, controlled study of male Sprague-Dawley rats. E xperimental hyperammonemia was induced by 7 days of a high-ammonia diet. Su bsequently, the animals were randomly divided into two groups: the study gr oup treated with heliox breathing for 24 hours and a control group breathin g room air for 24 hours. A prospective, randomized, controlled laboratory a nimal study was conducted at an animal research facility. The baseline plas ma ammonia level was 9.49 +/- 10.96 mu mol/L. After 7 days of a high-ammoni a diet, the plasma ammonia level rose to 31.53 +/- 8.86 mu mol/L. There was a significant statistical difference between the plasma ammonia level foll owing 24 hours of heliox therapy (23.14 +/- 13.97 mu mol/L) and the ammonia level in the control group (42.31 +/- 24.25 mu mol/L) (P < .05). Heliox br eathing was found to be an efficient treatment modality for decreasing plas ma ammonia levels in an animal model. Further studies are required to evalu ate its potential application in the treatment of patients with hyperammone mia.