ABSTRACT
Cyanide (CN) is one among the most potent and rapidly acting lethal poisons, and it may cause death unless immediately diagnosed and treated. We report an unusual case of pediatric CN poisoning after ingestion of apricot kernels containing amygdalin, who survived with antidotal therapy and hemodialysis. A 3-year-old girl presented with respiratory distress and coma following tonic-clonic convulsions after ingestion of 3 apricot kernels. She had severe metabolic acidosis (pH 6.91, bicarbonate [HCO3] 5.6 mEq/L, base excess -26.0 mEq/L). Her blood CN level was measured 3.15 mg/L, 3 hours after ingestion. Hydroxocobalamin could not be administered immediately because it had to be brought from a medical center 4 hours apart. Therefore, a 3-hour hemodialysis session was carried out, following which she showed some clinical improvement. In addition, when hydroxocobalamin was obtained, it was then administered. During follow-up, she was completely asymptomatic with blood pressure, and other hemodynamic parameters normalized. This case presents hemodialysis as a way to correct metabolic derangements from CN poisoning and suggests that it may have a role in select cases of pediatric CN poisoning, especially when CN-scavenging antidotes may be unavailable.
