A 27-year-old man with a history of cocaine abuse ingested a large quantity of street cocaine in an apparent suicide attempt. Shortly thereafter, he developed tonic-clonic seizures and became cyanotic. An arterial blood gas sample, collected in the emergency department, appeared chocolate-brown and showed pO2 279 mmHg, pCO2 53 mmHg, and pH 7.15. Hemoglobin spectral analysis revealed significant...

Background. Methemoglobin (MetHb) most commonly results from exposure to an oxidizing chemical but may also arise from genetic, dietary, or even idiopathic etiologies. P-chloroaniline (PCA) was one of the first substances described in the context of acquired methemoglobinemia. Case Report. We report the case of a cyanotic chemistry worker who presented to our emergency department (ED) after wor...

seizure is a rare presentation for acute hemolysis due to g6pd deficiency. we report a previously healthy boy who presented initially with seizure and cyanosis and subsequently acute hemolysis, due to glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (g6pd) and probably secondary methemoglobinemia, following the ingestion of fava beans.

We report a case of methaemoglobinaemia in a 2 year old girl after ingestion of an 'aphrodisiac' containing nitrite. The availability of these products, their poor labelling, and their intended presence in domestic bedrooms all serve to increase the hazard they pose to young children.

Shortly after the first white settlers crossed through the Cumberland Gap into the western foothills of the Appalachians there arose in one kinship several particu­ larly swarthy offspring characterized by deep bluish skin coloration. These folks — the Blue Fugates — apparently suffered no ill effects of this condition and indeed numerous off-spring were bom some of which also had this peculiar...