All issues > Volume 52(3); 2008

Case Report

Korean J Pediatr. 2008;52(3):385-388. Published online March 15, 2009.

Methemoglobinemia development after ingestion of a chinese herbal medicine: A case report

Se Eun SE Hyun¹, Pil Joo PJ Hwang¹, Kyung Pil KP Nam², Eun Gyong EG Yoo¹, Man Yong MY Han¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Pochon Medical College, Bundang CHA Hopital
²Department of Civil and Environment Engineering, Seoul National University

Correspondence Man Yong MY Han ,Email: drmesh@gmail.com

Received: August 18, 2008; Revised: September 25, 2008   Accepted: October 26, 2008.

Abstract

An 8-year-old girl visited the emergency room with perioral cyanosis and dyspnea, which had developed 20 hrs prior to the hospital visit. She had taken a Chinese herbal medication for 3 days prior to the onset of the symptoms. A co-oximeter examination revealed a methemoglobin level of 23.7%. An intravenous infusion of methylene blue was administered. Chemical analysis of the herbal medication revealed an ammonia (NH3) level of 239.41 mg/L. More studies are needed on the correlation between methemoglobinemia and the components of Chinese herbal medicines.

Keywords :Methemoglobinemia, Nitrate, Ammonia, Chinese herbal medicines, Children