Methemoglobinemia after local anesthesia with prilocaine: a case report

Highlights • Local anesthetic agent is usually used in the emergency department, and local anesthetic agent oxidizes hemoglobin and may cause methemoglobinemia. • Methemoglobinemia reveals clinical findings with respiratory distress in the early period after local anesthesia with prilocain. • Hepatocellular carcinoma is known, and we think that there may have developed a methemoglobinemia due to an increase in half-life of elimination of prilocaine. • Oxidant agent should be removed in the treatment, and supplemental oxygen treatment should be provided.