[Accidental administration of 50 mg racemic adrenaline to a 2-year-old boy].

A two-year-old boy received by mistake 50 mg racemic adrenaline intravenously, corresponding to 1.8 mg kg-1 of L-adrenaline. Blood pressure increased to 160/105 mm Hg, heart rate to 160 beats min-1 and pulmonary oedema developed over the next two hours. He was treated with nitroprusside, nitroglycerine and digitoxin, and was intubated and ventilated. After three hours a hypotensive phase occurred, probably due to down-regulation of the beta- and alpha-adrenoceptors. This recessitated infusions of very high concentrations of catecholamines for 72 hours. Renal failure recessitated renal transplantation, after which the child made an uneventful recovery.