Sodium Acetate as a Replacement for Sodium Bicarbonate in Medical Toxicology: a Review
UMass Chan Affiliations
Department of Emergency MedicineDocument Type
Journal ArticlePublication Date
2013-04-30
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Show full item recordAbstract
Sodium bicarbonate is central to the treatment of many poisonings. When it was placed on the FDA drug shortage list in 2012, alternative treatment strategies to specific poisonings were considered. Many hospital pharmacies, poison centers, and medical toxicologists proposed sodium acetate as an adequate alternative, despite a paucity of data to support its use in medical toxicology. The intention of this review is to educate the clinician on the use of sodium acetate and to advise them on the potential adverse events when given in excess. We conducted a literature search focused on the pharmacology of sodium acetate, its use as a buffer in pathologic acidemia and dialysis baths, and potential adverse events associated with excess sodium acetate infusion. It appears safe to replace sodium bicarbonate infusion with sodium acetate on an equimolar basis. The metabolism of acetate, however, is more complex than bicarbonate. Future prospective studies will be needed to confirm the efficacy of sodium acetate in the treatment of the poisoned patient.Source
J Med Toxicol. 2013 Apr 30. Link to article on publisher's siteDOI
10.1007/s13181-013-0304-0Permanent Link to this Item
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14038/30403PubMed ID
23636658Related Resources
Link to Article in PubMedae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1007/s13181-013-0304-0