Korean J Med.  2011 Apr;80(4):473-476.

Two Cases of Metformin-Induced Lactic Acidosis Successfully Treated by Hemodialysis

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Hospital, Cheonan, Korea. eylee@sch.ac.kr

Abstract

Metformin-induced lactic acidosis is a rare life-threatening complication associated with metformin treatment and has a high mortality rate. Here, two cases of metformin-induced lactic acidosis are reported. A 22-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with a metformin overdose (25 g) and lactic acidosis. Hemodialysis was initiated to correct the acidemia, and the patient showed full recovery. Her serum creatinine level returned to normal. A 50-year-old man presented with a 5-day history of muscle weakness. His medical history included diabetes mellitus for 6 years treated with metformin at 3,000 mg/day and hypertension. An arterial blood sample showed metabolic acidosis, with a venous lactate level of 31.1 mg/dL. The patient recovered fully after treatment with bicarbonate dialysis. These cases illustrate that the presence of clinical conditions such as renal failure increase the risk of metformin-induced lactic acidosis. Prompt recognition of lactic acidosis and early treatment with bicarbonate dialysis can result in a successful clinical outcome.

Keyword

Metformin; Acidosis, Lactic; Renal dialysis

MeSH Terms

Acidosis
Acidosis, Lactic
Creatinine
Diabetes Mellitus
Dialysis
Female
Humans
Hypertension
Lactic Acid
Metformin
Middle Aged
Muscle Weakness
Renal Dialysis
Renal Insufficiency
Young Adult
Creatinine
Lactic Acid
Metformin
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