Benzocaine-induced methaemoglobinaemia in an adolescent with sepsis.
BMJ Case Rep
; 15(2)2022 Feb 28.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-35228243
Methaemoglobinaemia is a potentially life-threatening condition characterised by hypoxaemia, cyanosis, pallor, fatigue, metabolic acidosis, headache and in severe cases, coma or death. Topical anaesthetics have been reported to cause methaemoglobinaemia. Topical benzocaine was specifically implicated in roughly 66% of anesthetic-induced methaemoglobinaemia cases in a large systematic review in adults. This complication has occurred often in adult patients with pre-existing comorbidities resulting in diminished use in children overall with only few paediatric cases reported worldwide. Additionally, there is growing evidence of a link between sepsis and methaemoglobinaemia due to increased circulating nitrous oxide from infectious pathogen metabolism. In this report, we discuss a case of a 16-year-old young boy, being evaluated for suspected endocarditis, presenting with acute methaemoglobinaemia after use of topical benzocaine spray for transesophageal echocardiogram. This case exemplifies the importance of blood gas with co-oximetry testing in all cases of refractory hypoxemia who have had procedures requiring topical anaesthetics.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Sepsis
/
Metahemoglobinemia
Tipo de estudio:
Diagnostic_studies
Límite:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Child
/
Humans
/
Male
Idioma:
En
Revista:
BMJ Case Rep
Año:
2022
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Estados Unidos
Pais de publicación:
Reino Unido