Brothwell Shona Lc, Fitzsimons Patricia E, Gerrard Adam, Schwahn Bernd C, Stockdale Christopher, Bowron Ann, Anderson Mark, Hart Claire E, Hannah Romanie, Ritchie Francesca, Deshpande Sanjeev A, Sreekantam Srividya, Watts Gemma, Yap Sufin, Mundy Helen, Veiraiah Aravindan, Collins Abigail, Cozens Alison, Morris Andrew A, Crushell Ellen
Department of Paediatric Inherited Metabolic Medicine, Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK.
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Children's Health Ireland at Temple Street, Dublin, Ireland.
Arch Dis Child. 2025 Jul 18;110(8):592-596. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2024-328109.
Slush ice drinks are commonly available refreshments, aimed at children and young people. Glycerol is used to maintain the slush effect in the absence of a high sugar content.
To describe a series of children who became acutely unwell shortly after consuming a slush ice drink; their presentation mimics specific inherited metabolic diseases (IMDs).
A retrospective case review of 21 children who presented to centres across the UK and Ireland from 2009 through 2024 was carried out.
Almost all of the children (93%) became unwell within 60 min of slush ice drink consumption. None had any relevant past medical history. The median age at presentation was 3 years 6 months (range 2 years - 6 years 9 months). Presenting features include acute decrease in consciousness (94%), hypoglycaemia (95%), metabolic (lactic) acidosis (94%), pseudohypertriglyceridaemia (89%) and hypokalaemia (75%). Glyceroluria was present in all acute urine organic acid samples. No underlying IMD was found in the 14 patients who underwent further enzymatic or genetic testing. The majority (95%) subsequently avoided slush ice drinks and did not have reoccurrence.
Consumption of slush ice drinks containing glycerol may cause a clinical syndrome of glycerol intoxication in young children, characterised by decreased consciousness, hypoglycaemia, lactic acidosis, pseudohypertriglyceridaemia and hypokalaemia. This mimics inherited disorders of gluconeogenesis and glycerol metabolism. Clinicians and parents should be alert to the phenomenon, and public health bodies should ensure clear messaging regarding the fact that younger children, especially those under 8 years of age, should avoid slush ice drinks containing glycerol.
碎冰饮料是常见的饮品，主要面向儿童和年轻人。在无糖的情况下，甘油用于保持碎冰效果。
描述一系列在饮用碎冰饮料后不久出现急性不适的儿童；他们的表现类似于特定的遗传性代谢疾病（IMD）。
对2009年至2024年期间在英国和爱尔兰各中心就诊的21名儿童进行回顾性病例分析。
几乎所有儿童（93%）在饮用碎冰饮料后60分钟内出现不适。他们均无相关既往病史。就诊时的中位年龄为3岁6个月（范围为2岁至6岁9个月）。临床表现包括意识急性减退（94%）、低血糖（95%）、代谢性（乳酸）酸中毒（94%）、假性高甘油三酯血症（89%）和低钾血症（75%）。所有急性尿有机酸样本中均出现甘油尿。在接受进一步酶学或基因检测的14名患者中未发现潜在的IMD。大多数患者（95%）随后避免饮用碎冰饮料，未再复发。
饮用含甘油的碎冰饮料可能会使幼儿出现甘油中毒的临床综合征，其特征为意识减退、低血糖、乳酸酸中毒、假性高甘油三酯血症和低钾血症。这类似于糖异生和甘油代谢的遗传性疾病。临床医生和家长应警惕这一现象，公共卫生机构应确保明确传达信息，即年幼儿童，尤其是8岁以下儿童，应避免饮用含甘油的碎冰饮料。
