Methemoglobin levels following sublingual nitroglycerin in human volunteers.
Sublingual nitroglycerin 0.8 mg every five minutes for a total of 4.8 mg was administered to 11 healthy volunteers. One volunteer had to withdraw due to a hypotensive bradycardic reaction after 2.4 mg. In the remaining subjects, methemoglobinemia over the next hour never significantly increased from baseline levels, reaching a peak of only 0.71%. We conclude that commonly used doses of sublingual nitroglycerin do not induce significant methemoglobinemia and that nitroglycerin would not be useful in the treatment of cyanide poisoning.
Paris
P M
PM
Kaplan
R M
RM
Stewart
R D
RD
Weiss
L D
LD
D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D001919:Bradycardia / Q000139:chemically induced; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008708:Methemoglobinemia / Q000139:chemically induced*; D005996:Nitroglycerin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D013997:Time Factors; D014059:Tongue
D005996:Nitroglycerin