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Updated: Sep 27, 2026

Microdialysis of Excitatory Amino Acids During EEG Recordings in Freely Moving Rats
Published on: November 8, 2018
[Fulminant coma: think hyperammonemia and urea cycle disorders]
C Augris1, P Jouvet, F Benabdelmalek
1Service d'anesthésie, centre hospitalier de Nevers, avenue Colbert, 58000 Nevers, France.
Abstract:
The authors report the case of 14-year-old boy admitted for acute coma without neurological focal symptom. The only relevant finding was the death of one uncle after a coma in the year 1992. This coma was associated with an ammonia blood level of 344 mumol l-1 and it rapidly lead to cerebral death despite a symptomatic treatment. The diagnosis of hereditary ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency was confirmed by liver biopsy in the immediate post-mortem period. The authors recommend the measurement of blood ammonia in every coma without diagnosis, whatever patient's age.
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