ABSTRACT
Topical anesthesia is routinely employed to facilitate diagnostic and therapeutic procedures that involve the oropharynx. Although this practice is usually safe, there is always the potential that methemoglobinemia might be induced by the topical anesthetic agent. The clinician should consider this possible complication when the patient experiences signs or symptoms of oxygen desaturation in the absence of another explanation. Because methemoglobinemia can be life-threatening, early recognition and treatment are extremely important.
Subject(s)
Anesthetics, Local/adverse effects , Benzocaine/adverse effects , Cyanosis/etiology , Echocardiography, Transesophageal/adverse effects , Methemoglobin/analysis , Methemoglobinemia/etiology , Aged , Benzocaine/administration & dosage , Female , Humans , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
Thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO), Buerger's disease, is an inflammatory thrombotic occlusive vascular disorder that typically involves small and medium-sized arteries of both the upper and lower extremities. This disease usually affects young adult males between the ages of 40 and 45 years old who smoke tobacco products. Clinically significant extrapulmonary involvement is exceptional. We describe a patient with elevated pulmonary arterial pressures associated with TAO who had no other discernible causes of secondary pulmonary hypertension.
