Basuli Debargha, Roy Sasmit
Internal Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, USA.
Nephrology, University of Virginia, Lynchburg, USA.
Cureus. 2022 Jul 20;14(7):e27085. doi: 10.7759/cureus.27085. eCollection 2022 Jul.
Acetone poisoning, although not very common, can present with varied signs and symptoms. High acetone levels in serum can be due to exogenous exposure or endogenous production of acetone. Unlike certain alcohol toxicities, acetone does not cause high anion gap metabolic acidosis. A 69-year-old male presented to our service with shock and acute encephalopathy and required intensive care support. Initial laboratory investigation showed high anion gap metabolic acidosis with high osmolar gap. Serum acetone level was elevated. Clinicians need to be aware of how to elucidate such metabolic disturbances and associated toxicities.