Treating baclofen overdose by hemodialysis

Abstract

Because baclofen is eliminated mostly by the kidney, baclofen-related encephalopathy is usually found in patients with renal failure. Therefore, hemodialysis has been suggested for those patients to alleviate symptoms and shorten recovery time. We present a case of baclofen intoxication with normal renal function benefiting from hemodialysis. A 55-year-old man took 420 mg of baclofen and was intubated because of respiratory depression. Hisconsciousness returned 9 hours after hemodialysis was finished, and he was extubated smoothly thereafter. The elimination half-life of baclofen before and during hemodialysis was 15.7 and 3.1 hours, respectively. As patients with baclofen overdose could have prolonged elimination even with normal renal function, hemodialysis would be beneficial to those patients with normal renal function.