Clinitest tablet ingestion: an in vitro investigation concerned with initial emergency management.

To help establish a rational approach to the initial management of Clinitest tablet ingestion, we investigated the effect of number of tablets, volume of diluent, and type of diluent on dissolution time (TD), temperature generation (delta T), and pH. Dissolution time was independent of the number of tablets and the volume of fluid; however, it was dependent on the type of fluid used. The thermal generation (delta T) was dependent on the number of tablets and volume of fluid, but was independent of the type of fluid used. The pH changes were independent of the number of tablets and volume of fluid; however, they were greatly dependent on the type of fluid. These data suggest that dissolution is rapid (in seconds) and, therefore, the most effective intervention may occur shortly after ingestion of the tablets; the larger the volume of diluting fluid, the smaller the risk of thermal damage from these ingestions; and orange juice should be considered as a possible diluent because it is capable of reducing the pH of the Clinitest tablet without increasing thermal generation.