Acute massive chloral hydrate intoxication treated with hemodialysis: a clinical pharmacokinetic analysis

A 38-year-old female became comatose and exhibited signs of cardiac toxicity 2 hours after ingestion of approximately 38 Gm chloral hydrate. Hemodialysis was initiated 21 hours after ingestion, using twin coils in series, and was continued for 4.5 hours. Trichloroethanol, the active metabolite of chloral hydrate, was measured in plasma and dialysate. Two hours after ingestion, the plasma level was 330 micrograms/ml (average therapeutic level is 12 micrograms/ml or less). The predialysis level was 216 micrograms/ml and after dialysis declined to 141 micrograms/ml. The pre- and post-plasma half-life values were 35 hours, while on dialysis the half-life was only 6 hours. The average dialysis clearance was 120 ml/minute, and the amount of chloral hydrate removed by dialysis was 5.79 Gm. By the end of dialysis, the patient could respond to verbal commands and was ambulatory 36 hours later. In conclusion, hemodialysis can be a clinically important method of treating chloral hydrate overdose.