Severe methemoglobinemia in a 3-week-old infant with a urinary tract infection

Infantile methemoglobinemia: reexamining the role of drinking water nitrates.

“…A 54-year-old woman who suffered chronic methemo-Sep Oct Nov Dec globinemia for 15 years saw a disappearance of the condition after a 10-day course in a region of Israel during a 12 of neomycin (21). Infantile methemoglobinemia resulting from urinary tract infection has been reported in over a dozen requires close monitoring of instances (22,23). Infectious bacterial and n levels (15).…”

Hematologic Syndromes: Hemolysis, Methemoglobinemia, and Sulfhemoglobinemia

“…The predisposition of infants to methemoglobinemia is explained by normally low erythrocytic cytochrome-b 5 reductase activity and cytochrome b 5 concentrations. Oxidant stress resulting from gastroenteritis and other infections is the most common cause of acquired methemoglobinemia in this age group [15,16].…”

Cause of Methemoglobinemia: Illness versus Nitrate Exposure

“…This statement seriously understates the potential severity of methemoglobinemia caused solely by diarrhea and other gastrointestinal illnesses; I found eight cases reported in the literature in which methemoglobin levels were > 34%, and three of these were > 55% (4,(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12). Contrary to the claims of Knobeloch et al (1), secondary risk factors, such as nitratecontaminated water, oxidant drug exposure, and inherited enzyme deficiencies, were ruled out in all of these cases, as well as in dozens of additional cases caused by diarrhea.…”

“…Furthermore, these factors have now been proven to cause severe methemoglobinemia without exposure to exogenous nitrates from water or food (4,(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12). Thus, the available evidence suggests that exogenous nitrates from drinking water have the potential to exacerbate, but not cause, methemoglobinemia.…”