Kinetics and metabolism of chloral hydrate in children: identification of dichloroacetate as a metabolite.

Chloral hydrate was introduced into therapeutics more than 100 years ago, and since then a number of kinetic and metabolic studies have been conducted on this drug. Trichloroethanol, its glucuronide and trichloroacetic acid have been identified as the metabolites of chloral hydrate. We now report the identification of dichloroacetate as a major product of chloral hydrate metabolism in children, in addition to trichloroethanol and trichloroacetic acid. Furthermore, pretreatment of children with chloral hydrate appears to retard the plasma clearance of dichloroacetate.