Acquired methemoglobinemia: a rare but serious complication.
Topical and local anesthetics are employed during minor invasive procedures to increase patient tolerance and to reduce the need for intravenous sedation. A potentially fatal complication of these anesthetics is methemoglobinemia (Met-Hgb). Met-Hgb should be suspected in patients with cyanosis that does not respond to administration of oxygen and who have a discrepancy in oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry compared with the arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) determined by blood gas analysis. We present a patient who developed life-threatening Met-Hgb from the local anesthesia required during percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube placement.
Patel
Prakash B
PB
Veterans Affairs Medical Center, PO Box 4000, Mountain Home, TN 37684-4000, USA.
Logan
Guy W
GW
Karnad
Anand B
AB
Byrd
Ryland P
RP
Roy
Thomas M
TM
D000772:Anesthesia, Local; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005774:Gastrostomy; D006801:Humans; D007441:Intubation, Gastrointestinal; D008297:Male; D008708:Methemoglobinemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D008751:Methylene Blue / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged
D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D008751:Methylene Blue