Efficacy of hemodiafiltration in a child with severe lactic acidosis due to thiamine deficiency.

We report the case of a child in whom severe lactic acidosis (LA) and hyperammonemia developed after twenty days of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) for diffuse esophageal damage due to caustic ingestion. The revision of TPN preparation revealed that thiamine was never included and the hypothesis of thiamine deficiency was later confirmed measuring the serum thiamine level. Because severe metabolic acidosis the dialytic treatment with hemodiafiltration (HDF) and bicarbonate infusion were performed: the patient very quickly recovered with dramatic reestablishment of the acid-basic balance. Thiamine administration restored lactate metabolism. We emphasize that HDF is a useful and prompt treatment for LA to get over the critical phase of neurological and cardiological damage.