Metabolic encephalopathy caused by nitrous oxide ('laughing gas') induced hyperammonaemia.
BMJ Case Rep
; 12(11)2019 Nov 25.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-31772134
ABSTRACT
A 26-year-old man presented at the emergency department with confusion and decreased consciousness after several days of vomiting. In the preceding 6 months, he had used a 2-litre tank of nitrous oxide (N2O) weekly. His metabolic encephalopathy was caused by hyperammonaemia which probably resulted from interference of N2O-induced vitamin B12 deficiency with ammonia degradation. A catabolic state might have contributed to the hyperammonaemia in this case. After treatment with vitamin B12 and lactulose, both his consciousness and hyperammonaemia improved. He reported no residual complaints after 3 months of follow-up. Since N2O is increasingly used as a recreational drug, we recommend considering hyperammonaemia as a cause of metabolic encephalopathy in cases of N2O use and altered mental status.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Bases de datos:
MEDLINE
Métodos Terapéuticos y Terapias MTCI:
Terapias_mente_y_cuerpo
/
Risoterapia
Asunto principal:
Encefalopatías Metabólicas
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Confusión
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Trastornos de la Conciencia
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Hiperamonemia
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Óxido Nitroso
Tipo de estudio:
Diagnostic_studies
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Etiology_studies
Idioma:
En
Revista:
BMJ Case Rep
Año:
2019
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Países Bajos