Feeling blue with metformin-associated lactic acidosis

Abstract

An active 66-year-old diabetic woman presented with a 5-day history of vomiting and abdominal pain, refractory shock and acute kidney injury (AKI). There was concomitant ACE inhibitor (ACEi) use and metformin toxicity with severe lactic acidosis. She suffered a pulseless electrical activity (PEA) cardiac arrest within 30 min of arrival to the Medical Admissions Unit. Despite a serum pH of 6.57 she was successfully resuscitated. She remained haemodynamically unstable even with fluid resuscitation, inotropic support and haemodiafiltration, yet made a full and rapid recovery following the introduction of a methylene blue infusion. Copyright 2013 BMJ Publishing Group. All rights reserved.