title: Acquired methemoglobinemia: a rare but serious complication.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Veterans Affairs Medical Center, PO Box 4000, Mountain Home, TN 37684-4000, USA.
authors.forename: Prakash B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Guy W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Logan
authors.forename: Anand B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Karnad
authors.forename: Ryland P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Byrd
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Roy
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D008751:Methylene Blue