A report published in the New England Journal of Medicine describes the case of a 25-year-old woman who developed methemoglobinemia following the use of topical benzocaine. Menu SECTIONS.

Methemoglobinemia occurs when at least 3% or more of a person’s hemoglobin is in the form of methemoglobin. At levels of 70% or more, the risk of death is high.

Methemoglobinemia is a blood disorder that occurs when too little oxygen is delivered to the cells of the body. There are two kinds of methemoglobinemia — congenital and acquired ...

Thirty cases of methemoglobinemia secondary to bismuth subnitrate, ammonium nitrate and nitrates in well water have been reported. The case reported below followed the ingestion of bismuth ...

Methemoglobinemia is typically acquired by exposure to medications, including dapsone and benzocaine spray, overdose with amyl nitrate and sodium nitrite or certain medical conditions, including ...