Acute aphasia and loss of vision with desferrioxamine overdose.
Reversible aphasia, loss of vision, bradycardia, and mild hypotension occurred in a 6-year-old girl with aplastic anemia and transfusion-related iron overload after inadvertent increase of her intravenous desferrioxamine drip. Signs and symptoms were reversed promptly by intravenous fluids, suggesting that desferrioxamine, when given as a sudden intravenous bolus, may upset vasoregulation. Three possible mechanisms are discussed that could explain this phenomenon. High-dose intravenous desferrioxamine ought to be given by pump infusion only, in order to avoid accidental overdose.
D000741:Anemia, Aplastic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001037:Aphasia / Q000139:chemically induced*; D001766:Blindness / Q000139:chemically induced*; D002648:Child; D003676:Deferoxamine / Q000506:poisoning* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans
D003676:Deferoxamine