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Acute Intermittent Porphyria
Author(s) -
MCEWIN RODERICK
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.111
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1445-2197
pISSN - 0004-8682
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-2197.1973.tb06811.x
Subject(s) - medicine , acute intermittent porphyria , disease , porphyria , complication , sedation , intensive care medicine , abdominal pain , psychiatric disease , anesthesia , paralysis , surgery , dermatology
This rare inherited disease presents with abdominal pain, psychiatric symptoms and neuropathies. Because it may mimic an acute surgical (or less frequently, psychiatric) emergency, it is important in clinical practice. The complication of respiratory paralysis, with a mortality of over 90%, is almost solely due to aggravation of an attack by drugs, usually barbiturates. It is therefore important to diagnose the disease in surgical practice before barbiturates are used for sedation or anœsthesia.