A report of accidental ethylene glycol ingestion in 2 siblings.
We describe a case of 2 siblings aged 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 yrs accidentally poisoned by ethylene glycol ingestion. We found estimating the level of ethylene glycol in plasma by calculation of osmolar gap too insensitive to be of value and advocate the availability of a specific method. In our study only one of the 2 children had a toxic level of ethylene glycol but assay by conventional assay and by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1HMRS) of toxic metabolites viz glycolate, glyoxylate and oxalate showed both to be excreting grossly elevated levels. This indicates the desirability of assaying the toxic metabolites of the glycol as well as the parent compound in assessing ingestions.
De Leacy
E A
EA
Pathology Department, Mater Misericordiae Hospital, South Brisbane, Australia.
Moxon
L N
LN
Ellis
V M
VM
Van Dongen
J M
JM
Johnson
L P
LP
Doddrell
D M
DM
Cowley
D M
DM
D000061:Accidents, Home; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019855:Ethylene Glycol; D005026:Ethylene Glycols / Q000097:blood / Q000506:poisoning* / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012801:Sibling Relations
D005026:Ethylene Glycols; D019855:Ethylene Glycol