Department of Emergency Medicine

UMEM Educational Pearls

Category: Toxicology

Title: Salicylate Serum Concentrations - Be Wary

Keywords: Salicylate, aspirin, metabolic acidosisM (PubMed Search)

Posted: 7/17/2008 by Fermin Barrueto, MD (Updated: 4/25/2024)
Click here to contact Fermin Barrueto, MD

  •  Therapeutic concentration considered 10-20 mg/dL
  •  Some hospitals report in "mg/L" thus a level of 110 mg/L is therapeutic
  •  Symptoms of Toxicity usually > 40 mg/dL
  •  Consider Hemodialysis in any patient with a serum concentration >100 mg/dL

First Line Therapy:  Urine Alkalinization (pH >7.5) by administrating NaHCO3

Other Indications for Hemodialysis in Salicylate Poisoned Patient:

  1. Renal Failure
  2. CHF
  3. Acute Lung Injury
  4. Persistent CNS disturbances
  5. Refractory metabolic acidosis or electrolyte abnormality
  6. Hepatic insufficiency with coagulopathy

Download the UMEM Pearls App!

UMEM Daily Pearls

Subscribe to daily UMEM Pearls (FREE!) via:

Email Mailing List

Browse a Pearl Category:

Browse a Pearl Author:

Search Pearls