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Published 2 February 2009
Cite this as: BMJ Case Reports 2009 [doi:10.1136/bcr.06.2008.0337]
Copyright © 2009 by the BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.

Novel treatment (new drug/intervention; established drug/procedure in new situation)

Extracorporeal elimination in acute valproate intoxication

Els A van der Wouden, Angela Dekkers, Hannah M E Kruis, Ingeborg M van Geijlswijk, David H Tjan, Geert W Feith

Gelderse Vallei Hospital, Ede, 6716 RP, Netherlands

Correspondence to:
woudene{at}zgv.nl

SUMMARY

Severe poisoning with valproate may result in coma and death. The management of valproate intoxication is principally supportive. Valproate is scarcely excreted renally and is mainly protein bound and, therefore, not considered to be amenable for extracorporeal elimination. Despite these unfavourable pharmacokinetic properties, several case reports showed successful treatment of valproate intoxication with haemodialysis and/or haemoperfusion. We describe a male patient (57 years) after ingestion of 64 g of valproate. The patient was successfully treated with haemodialysis for 6 h. Haemodialysis was followed by continuous venovenous haemodiafiltration (CVVH-D) for 18 h to prevent a rebound phenomenon. This report confirms the benefit of haemodialysis in serious valproate overdose. A review of the literature shows that haemodialysis followed by CVVH-D is the treatment of choice in severe valproate intoxication.


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