Jakarta (ANTARA) – Fomepizole has been recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an antidote to drug intoxication seen in patients with acute kidney failure, Ministry of Health spokesman Mohammad Syahril said.
“This antidote has been recommended by the WHO with a high efficacy of over 90%,” he informed Tuesday during a press release on acute kidney failure via the Zoom video conferencing platform.
The government imported fomepizole to Indonesia, with 26 vials from Singapore and 16 vials from Australia, he said.
“Then the government will bring hundreds of vials from Japan and the United States. The total is about 200 vials, “she added.
The antidote was tested on 10 out of 11 acute kidney injury patients at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (RSCM) here. Half of the patients recovered, while the condition of the other half was stable.
“Those to whom we administered the drug were patients showing symptoms of kidney damage suspected of being caused by poisoning,” he informed.
“For example, the frequency of their urination has decreased and their urine (volume) has also decreased,” he added.
Related news: Providing Valid Data on Acute Kidney Injury: Government Ombudsman
According to medical guidelines on its use, fomepizole must be injected five times.
“In RSCM, there are those who have received three and four injections and have shown improvements,” Syahril said.
The improvement in health manifested itself in the form of urine volume returning to normal and other symptoms starting to decrease, he said.
“In fact, the results of the laboratory tests show that the ethylene glycol (EG) content in poisoned patients is no longer detected,” he added.
Once patients are declared cured, the supply of fomepizole will be stopped, he said.
As of October 23, 2022, at least 38 acute kidney injury patients in Indonesia have been reported cured after undergoing intensive treatment in hospitals.
As of 24 October, a total of 255 patients with acute kidney injury have been registered in 26 provinces. At least 143 patients succumbed to the disease, accounting for 56% of the total number of cases.
Related news: Investigation of the causes of kidney disorders leading to drug poisoning
