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ACCIDENTAL SALT POISONING IN A HOSPITAL NURSERY *
Author(s) -
GAUTHIER B.,
FREEMAN R.,
BEVERIDGE J.
Publication year - 1969
Publication title -
journal of paediatrics and child health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.631
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1440-1754
pISSN - 1034-4810
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1754.1969.tb02815.x
Subject(s) - medicine , ingestion , hypernatremia , thirst , accidental , pediatrics , intensive care medicine , physiology , sodium , chemistry , physics , organic chemistry , acoustics
In a suburban hospital in Sydney, salt was accidentally used instead of sugar in the preparation of feeds intended for a number of babies. Five babies were involved in the ensuing epidemic of hypernatraemia; 4 died and one, less severely affected, made a complete recovery. Three of the babies who died were of low birth weight and they presented with symptoms different from those previously described, in that they had diarrhoea, manifested no thirst, and had neither muscular twitchings nor convulsions. Overlapping of the sutures was striking in all cases. Ingestion of an excessive quantity of salt causes hypertonicity of the extracellular fluid which largely explains the disorders involved in hypernatraemia. It is suggested that salt should not be stored in an area where infants' formulae are prepared.