Blood ammonia concentrations resulting from absorption of irrigating fluid containing glycine and ethanol during transurethral resection of the prostate

In 30 patients the blood ammonia concentration was measured 30 min was after transurethral resection of the prostate during which absorption of irrigating fluid containing 1.5% of glycine and 1% of ethanol had been indicated by serial expired breath tests. The volume of irrigating fluid that had been absorbed was either measured volumetrically (n = 25) or estimated from the ethanol concentration in the expired breath (n = 5); the median volume of irrigating fluid absorbed was 1.3 litres (range 0.2-4.3). There was no consistent rise in the blood ammonia concentration, nor was there any correlation between the blood ammonia concentration and the volume of irrigating fluid absorbed. No patient developed symptoms that could be clearly related to hyperammonaemic glycine toxicity, but 18 of the 30 patients developed other signs of the "TURP syndrome". The present results suggest that irrigating fluid containing both glycine and ethanol does not significantly increase blood ammonia concentration or produce symptoms of glycine toxicity.