This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

RACHEL A. GRIFFITH, MD
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Presbyterian Medical Center 8200 Walnut Hill Lane Dallas, TX 75231

Am J Dis Child. 1983;137(8):805.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

Sir.—This letter is in response to Dr Lovejoy's succinct marginal comment "Fatal Benzyl Alcohol Poisoning in Neonatal Intensive Care Units: A New Concern for Pediatricians" (JOURNAL 1982;136:974-975). This syndrome consisting of metabolic acidosis, respiratory depression with progression to gasping respirations, renal failure, CNS depression, seizures, intracranial hemorrhage, and hypotension was noted in infants with intakes of 99 to 405 mg/kg/day of benzyl alcohol.^1-3

This syndrome certainly seems to be a real entity, but its description leaves the clinician with a great dilemma. Should all medications containing benzyl alcohol (or other preservatives) be eliminated from our neonatal pharmacies? Is there a "safe" intake (milligrams per kilogram per day) of benzyl alcohol? Is there a threshold effect? These are practical questions that pose concern for neonatologists and pediatricians who treat neonates.

The Table gives several commonly used medications that contain benzyl alcohol. Many medications contain various other preservatives, the effects . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?