IVLE results in appreciable analytical interferences at concentrations demonstrated in lipid resuscitation therapy. Of particular concern is the marked interference on glucose and magnesium, which may result in unsuccessful and potentially harmful interventions. Major implications for patient care include reporting of incorrect results and delays in the reporting of time-sensitive results. Whenever possible, blood samples should be collected prior to initiating lipid therapy. Interferences can be minimized by brief centrifugation at relatively low speeds on equipment readily available in most core labs.

This study confirms the high dialyzability of both acetaminophen and acetylcysteine. Hemodialysis appears to be a beneficial therapeutic option in cases of massive acetaminophen ingestion with coma and lactic acidosis. Additionally, these results suggest that the infusion rate of acetylcysteine must be more than double during hemodialysis to compensate for its ongoing removal and provide similar plasma concentrations to the usual acetylcysteine regimen.

The measurements of a number of common analytes can be markedly affected by the lipemia produced by lipid emulsions such that they cannot always be interpreted in the way that most physicians use this information in typical clinical situations. In fact, a lack of appreciation of this effect may lead to unintentional treatment errors. Because the effect of the lipemia produced is dependent on the reagents and laboratory platform used, it would be useful for all future reports to clearly document sample handling, reagents and laboratory platform used, as well as any procedures employed to reduce the lipid content.

No abstract

Intravenous lipid emulsion (ILE) therapy is a novel treatment that was discovered in the last decade. Despite unclear understanding of its mechanisms of action, numerous and diverse publications attested to its clinical use. However, current evidence supporting its use is unclear and recommendations are inconsistent. To assist clinicians in decision-making, the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology created a workgroup composed of international experts from various clinical specialties, which includes representatives of major clinical toxicology associations. Rigorous methodology using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation or AGREE II instrument was developed to provide a framework for the systematic reviews for this project and to formulate evidence-based recommendations on the use of ILE in poisoning. Systematic reviews on the efficacy of ILE in local anesthetic toxicity and non-local anesthetic poisonings as well as adverse effects of ILE are planned. A comprehensive review of lipid analytical interferences and a survey of ILE costs will be developed. The evidence will be appraised using the GRADE system. A thorough and transparent process for consensus statements will be performed to provide recommendations, using a modified Delphi method with two rounds of voting. This process will allow for the production of useful practice recommendations for this therapy.