Hypoventilation: a risk factor for milk alkali syndrome?

Abstract

A 67-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital due to progressive mental changes, nausea and vomiting after a dose increase of an intrathecal morphine pump. We found severe hypercalcaemia due to milk alkali syndrome (MAS). Her symptoms resolved quickly after normalisation of hypercalcaemia. Similar to the original and the modern versions of the syndrome, ingested carbonate was the main source of bicarbonate in our case. The main trigger was a morphine overdose with volume contraction due to vomiting and a further aggravation of chronic compensatory elevation of bicarbonate due to hypoventilation leading to MAS; thus, suggesting hypoventilation as a risk factor for MAS.

• Authors: Felix Burkhalter, Christian Forster, Michael Dickenmann
• Journal: BMJ case reports (BMJ Case Rep) Vol. 2010 (Nov 29 2010) ISSN: 1757-790X [Electronic] England
• PMID: 22798090 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Analgesics, Opioid
• Sodium Chloride Symporter Inhibitors
• Morphine
• Calcium Carbonate

Topics

• Aged
• Analgesics, Opioid (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Back Pain (drug therapy)
• Calcium Carbonate (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Diagnosis, Differential
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
• Female
• Humans
• Hypercalcemia (chemically induced, diagnosis)
• Hypoventilation (complications)
• Infusion Pumps
• Injections, Spinal
• Long-Term Care
• Morphine (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
• Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal (drug therapy)
• Risk Factors
• Sodium Chloride Symporter Inhibitors (adverse effects, therapeutic use)