ECE ÖGE ENVER, BİLAL YILMAZ, YAKUP ÇAĞ, YASEMİN AKIN
Southern Clinics of Istanbul Eurasia - 2024;35(4):384-385
Objective: Ammonia is a neurotoxic substance that is produced as a consequence of protein metabolism. It is converted to urea in the liver and subsequently eliminated by the kidneys. Hyperammonemia is defined as values that exceed 60 μmol/L outside of the neonatal period. Hyperammonemia in children is frequently caused by genetic and metabolic conditions, drug use, and liver disease or drug use in adults. Methods: The results of patients treated at our hospital in the past five years and whose blood levels exceeded 60 μmol/L were evaluated in our single-center retrospective study. The age, gender, ammonia levels, and reasons for obtaining ammonia of the patients were analyzed. Results: The purpose of the study was to investigate the reasoning behind the request for ammonia testing in pediatric patients at the hospital. The results showed that the reasons for requesting testing varied between children under and over 1 month of age. Although metabolic disorders are usually evaluated in newborns, infections, liver dysfunction, and drug side effects are predominant in children over the age of one month. The retrospective design and single-center aspect of the study have been noted as major limitations. Conclusion: Hyperammonemia may be an adverse effect of neurological diseases in pediatric patients, and medications used to treat seizures can cause hyperammonemia. This should be kept in mind in patients presenting with seizures, especially those with changes in consciousness.
