Citation

Suner S, Szlatenyi CS, Wang RY. Acad. Emerg. Med. 1997; 4(11): 1041-1045.

Affiliation

Brown University School of Medicine, Providence, RI, USA. selim_suner@brown.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 1997, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

9383489

Abstract

Reported are 2 uncommon cases of childhood gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB) toxicity and the surreptitious manner in which GHB was made. Two children unintentionally ingested a soft drink containing GHB and were found comatose. Both had been well 1 hour earlier. The parent had made GHB by combining gamma butyrolactone with caustic soda (sodium hydroxide). Symptoms were early in onset and resolved in 24 hours. The ECG changes in one case are unique to GHB toxicity and are unexplained. GHB-toxic children appear similar to adults who have this poisoning. Supportive management remains the mainstay of therapy. Health care providers should be aware of GHB's clandestine production and its increasing presence on the streets and in the home. This agent is not detected with common drug screens.

Language: en