Premium
THE EFFECT OF NIALAMIDE ON ENDOGENOUSLY AND EXOGENOUSLY ELEVATED BLOOD AMMONIA LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH LIVER DISEASE
Author(s) -
BEAL R. W.,
BLACKBURN C. R. B.
Publication year - 1962
Publication title -
australasian annals of medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.596
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-5994
pISSN - 0571-9283
DOI - 10.1111/imj.1962.11.1.19
Subject(s) - nialamide , ammonia , ammonium chloride , liver disease , medicine , coma (optics) , anesthesia , venous blood , arterial blood , blood pressure , hydrazine (antidepressant) , gastroenterology , chemistry , pharmacology , biochemistry , physics , organic chemistry , optics
Summary Nialamide (1‐[2‐benzylcarbamyl)ethyl]‐2‐isonicotinoyl‐hydrazine), an analogue of iproniazid, has been shown to lower the blood ammonia levels of patients with liver disease. Twelve studies were carried out on nine patients with elevated blood ammonia levels due to liver disease (eight cases) or to uræmia (one case). In each study the intravenous injection of 100 mg. of nialamide significantly reduced the blood ammonia level, the reductions ranging from 18% to 75% of the initial levels. It was also effective in lowering arterial blood ammonia levels artificially raised by the continuous intravenous infusion of ammonium chloride in eight patients with liver disease. Clinical benefit in patients with hepatic coma or pre‐coma did not parallel the improvement in arterial or venous blood ammonia levels.