J Formos Med Assoc
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Case Reports
Near-fatal methemoglobinemia after recreational inhalation of amyl nitrite aerosolized with a compressed gas blower.
Adverse effects associated with recreational inhalation of nitrites are usually mild and rarely life-threatening. We report a rare case of near-fatal methemoglobinemia after inhalation of amyl nitrite after aerosolizing the liquid using a compressed gas blower designed to clean photographic equipment that employed hydrofluoroalkane-134a as a propellant. A 31-year-old previously healthy male became dyspneic and fainted soon after the recreational inhalation of amyl nitrite aerosolized using a compressed gas blower. ⋯ After 100 mg of methylene blue (2 mg/kg body weight) was administered intravenously, he recovered consciousness, and dyspnea and cyanosis subsided gradually. This case illustrates the extraordinary hazard of the use of a compressed gas blower in the recreational inhalation of nitrites. Prompt recognition and rapid antidotal treatment may adequately correct near-fatal overdose associated with recreational use of amyl nitrite.
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Hospital-based general health screening plays an important role in the early detection of mental disorders. The present study examined the validity of the 5-item Brief Symptom Rating Scale (BSRS-5) in subjects admitted for a 2-day general health screening program. ⋯ The BSRS-5 is an effective screening instrument for the identification of psychiatric morbidity in hospital-based health screening settings.