PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - PE Stein
AU  - MN Badminton
AU  - JH Barth
AU  - DC Rees
AU  - R Sarkany
AU  - MF Stewart
AU  - TM Cox
TI  - Acute intermittent porphyria: fatal complications of treatment
AID  - 10.7861/clinmedicine.12-3-293
DP  - 2012 Jun 01
TA  - Clinical Medicine
PG  - 293--294
VI  - 12
IP  - 3
4099  - http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/12/3/293.short
4100  - http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/12/3/293.full
SO  - Clin Med2012 Jun 01; 12
AB  - Acute neurovisceral attacks of porphyria can be life threatening. They are rare and notoriously difficult to diagnose clinically, but should be considered, particularly in female patients with unexplained abdominal pain, and associated neurological or psychiatric features or hyponatraemia. The diagnosis might be suggested by altered urine colour and can be confirmed by finding an elevated porphobilinogen concentration in fresh urine protected from light. Severe attacks require treatment with intravenous haem arginate and supportive management with safe drugs, including adequate analgesia. Intravenous glucose in water solutions are contraindicated as they aggravate hyponatraemia, which can prove fatal.