Methaemoglobinaemia following ingestion of a commonly available food additive.
Five cases of methaemoglobinaemia after ingestion of sodium nitrite occurred in two clusters in Sydney in 2006. All cases were unintentional poisonings following use in cooking of an imported compound sold as a food additive. In all cases, methaemoglobinaemia was recognised early and treated promptly, with all patients making a full recovery. These cases highlight the importance of accurate food labelling and surveillance of imported goods.
Maric
Peter
P
Department of Haematology, Liverpool Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia. p_maric@hotmail.com
Ali
Sayed S
SS
Heron
Leon G
LG
Rosenfeld
David
D
Greenwood
Matthew
M
D003490:Cyanosis / Q000139:chemically induced*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005503:Food Additives / Q000506:poisoning*; D005515:Food Labeling; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008708:Methemoglobinemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D008751:Methylene Blue / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012977:Sodium Nitrite / Q000506:poisoning*
D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005503:Food Additives; D012977:Sodium Nitrite; D008751:Methylene Blue