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The treatment of a patient with hypocalcemic tetany secondary to sodium phosphate enemas is reported. The patient presented with a serum calcium level of 5.2 mg/dL and a phosphate level of 17.5 mg/dL. Physical manifestations included tetanic contraction of the muscles of the legs and arms. There was rapid symptomatic resolution with IV calcium. The electrolyte imbalance normalized over the next two days with oral calcium supplementation.

Random source dogs were anesthetized and cooled by immersion in ice water to a stable core temperature of 25 degrees C and subsequently rewarmed with either normal saline peritoneal lavage (43 degrees C, 175 ml/kg/h) or warmed humidified inhalation (43 degrees C, 450 ml/kg/min ventilation). The time required for core rewarming to 30 degrees C was 192 +/- 61 minutes for lavage and 331 +/- 96 minutes for inhalation therapy (P less than 0.03). These data suggest that peritoneal lavage is superior to inhalation therapy for core rewarming of rapidly induced immersion hypothermia.