Sparkle lamp ingestion: a rare cause of death

Abstract

A 51-year-old man was brought to the emergency department after he had drunk 200 mL of fluid from a decorative sparkle lamp. His calcium level was 4.99 mmol/L with a blood gas pH of 7.21. His calcium levels were corrected and his acidosis improved, but his stay in the intensive care department was complicated on day 10 by upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage because of caustic erosions in his stomach. Ten days after admission, he had an emergency right hemicolectomy during which residual luminescent particles were found to have eroded through his cecal mucosa. He eventually died 15 days after admission because of disseminated intravascular coagulopathy and refractory septic shock. This case demonstrates the potential for fatal toxicity associated with ingestion of a common household item.

• Lava lamp
• Metabolic acidosis
• Hypercalcaemia