ArticleCureus2026
Acquired Methemoglobinemia Following Herbal Decoction Ingestion Presenting With Refractory Hypoxemia and Associated Generalized Seizure: A Case Report.
Article in Cureus, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Acquired methemoglobinemia is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening disorder characterized by oxidation of hemoglobin iron into the ferric state, resulting in impaired oxygen delivery and functional anemia. Patients may present with cyanosis, persistent hypoxemia, and discordance between pulse oximetry and arterial oxygen saturation (SaO₂). Although medications and industrial chemicals are well-recognized causes, herbal and traditional remedies remain underreported aetiologies. A 35-year-old man presented with a sudden-onset generalized tonic-clonic seizure followed by persistent hypoxemia and peripheral cyanosis after ingestion of a home-prepared herbal (Ayurvedic) decoction. The blood sample demonstrated characteristic chocolate-brown discoloration. Oxygen saturation remained approximately 85% despite supplemental oxygen therapy. Arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis demonstrated preserved arterial oxygen tension (PaO₂ 167 mmHg) with a calculated SaO₂ of 97.3%, indicating a characteristic saturation gap. Co-oximetry demonstrated a methemoglobin level of 19%. The diagnosis of methemoglobinemia was supported by refractory hypoxemia, cyanosis, chocolate-brown blood discoloration, saturation gap, and co-oximetry-confirmed methemoglobinemia (19%). The patient improved rapidly following treatment with intravenous methylene blue, anticonvulsants, and supportive care. There was a rapid disappearance of cyanosis; oxygen saturation returned to normal with full neurological recovery. This example highlights the importance of checking for methemoglobinemia in patients with symptoms of unexplained cyanosis, refractory hypoxemia, and a mismatch between pulse oximetry and arterial oxygen levels, particularly following exposure to herbal or traditional preparations. Recognition of these findings facilitated prompt diagnosis and treatment in our patient.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.