Secondary Methemoglobinemia due to the Adulteration of Fish with Sodium Nitrite
Authors: THOMAS L. SINGLEY
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1962)

Article1 November 1962Secondary Methemoglobinemia due to the Adulteration of Fish with Sodium NitriteTHOMAS L. SINGLEY III, M.D.THOMAS L. SINGLEY III, M.D.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-57-5-800 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptSecondary methemoglobinemia is a clinical entity that has been manifested in a wide variety of unusual circumstances (1-13). This rather dramatic syndrome has again appeared, the vehicle this time being fish adulterated with sodium nitrite in an attempt to mask or prevent spoilage.CASE REPORTSCASE 1On March 24, 1959, at 7:46 PM, 2 brothers, 3 and 6 years of age, were brought to the emergency department of The Cooper Hospital, Camden. Patient 1, a 3-year-old boy, was dead on arrival. On examination, he appeared to be quite cyanotic, and there was no detectable evidence of life. When an...References1. FAUCETTMILLER RLHC: Methemoglobinemia occurring in infants fed milk diluted with well water of high nitrate content. J. Pediat. 29: 593, 1946. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. CORNBLATHHARTMAN MAF: Methemoglobinemia in young infants. J. Pediat. 33: 421, 1948. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. WALLIKERBAXTER GWEH: Methemoglobinemia, a cause of cyanosis in infants and children. Arch. Pediat. 66: 143, 1949. MedlineGoogle Scholar4. JOHNSTON RA: Incidence of nitrates in rural Ontario well waters. Canad. J. Public Health 46: 30, 1955. MedlineGoogle Scholar5. WALLACE WM: Methemoglobinemia in an infant as result of the administration of bismuth subnitrate. JAMA 133: 1280, 1947. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. BRIEGER H: Poisoning due to the ingestion of wax crayons. Amer. J. Public Health 39: 1023, 1949. CrossrefGoogle Scholar7. ASKARIHODAS AJH: Methemoglobinemia during pregnancy (due to acetophenetidin in Anacin tablets) with subsequent death of the infant. Amer. J. Obstet. Gynec. 63: 437, 1952. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. TEPPERMANMARQUARDTREIFENSTEINLOZNER JRGHEL: Epidemic of methemoglobinemia due to corning extract substituted for maple syrup. JAMA 146: 923, 1951. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. CRAWFORDMOONPANOSHOAKS SEAETCCA: Methemoglobinemia associated with pyridium administration. JAMA 146: 24, 1951. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar10. GREENBERGBIRNKRANTSHIFTNER MWBJJ: Outbreak of sodium nitrite poisoning. Amer. J. Public Health 35: 1217, 1945. CrossrefGoogle Scholar11. ETTELDORF JN: Methylene blue in the treatment of methemoglobinemia in premature infants caused by marking ink. J. Pediat. 38: 24, 1951. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar12. PICKUPELLES JDJ: Cyanosis in newborn babies caused by aniline dye poisoning (due to marking ink on diapers). Lancet 2: 118, 1953. CrossrefGoogle Scholar13. GOLUBOFFMACFAYDEN NDJ: Methemoglobinemia in infants associated with the application of tar-benzocaine ointment. J. Pediat. 47: 222, 1955. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar14. FINCH CA: Methemoglobinemia and sulfhemoglobinemia. New Engl. J. Med. 239: 470, 1948. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar15. BODANSKY O: Methemoglobinemia and methemoglobin producing compounds. Pharmacol. Rev. 3: 144, 1951. MedlineGoogle Scholar16. STEADKUNKELWEISS EAPS: Effect of Pitressin in circulatory collapse induced by sodium nitrite. J. Clin. Invest. 18: 673, 1939. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Camden, New JerseyFrom The Cooper Hospital, Camden, New Jersey.Requests for reprints should be addressed to Thomas L. Singley, III, M.D., 1207 Elm Avenue, Collingswood, New Jersey. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byLife-threatening methemoglobinemia after unintentional ingestion of antifreeze admixtures containing sodium nitrite in the construction sitesMethemoglobinemiaLessons to be learned: a case study approach: Prolonged methaemoglobinaemia due to inadvertent dapsone poisoning; treatment with methylene blue and exchange transfusionEstimation of the daily intake of nitrates and nitrites which children one to six years old, who attend State Nurseries in the City of Havanna, may consumeBerylliumNitrate Poisoning Caused by Food Contaminated with Cooling FluidDrug-Induced Oxidative HaemolysisPotential health effects of chlorine dioxide as a disinfectant in potable water suppliesNitrate Accumulation in VegetablesThe toxicology of nitrate, nitrite andn-nitroso compoundsNitrates, nitrites, and methemoglobinemiaRemission of chronic methemoglobinemia following neomycin therapy 1 November 1962Volume 57, Issue 5Page: 800-803KeywordsEmergency departmentHypotensionIngestionMethemoglobinemiaNauseaSodium Issue Published: 1 November 1962 PDF downloadLoading ...