Acute Zinc Toxicity in Haemodialysis

Abstract

A country patient on home haemodialysis suffered acute nausea, vomiting, and fever during dialyses when she used water stored in a galvanized tank. She subsequently was found to have severe anaemia with raised plasma and erythrocyte zinc concentrations. Intercurrent hospital haemodialyses and subsequent home dialyses with deionized water were symptom-free. Experimental haemodialyses of dogs against small concentrations of zinc showed a disproportionate rise in plasma zinc and possible uptake of zinc by the liver. © 1972, British Medical Journal Publishing Group. All rights reserved.