A new case of sodium nitrite poisoning at the Amiens-Picardie University Hospital: A growing phenomenon?

Sodium nitrite is a product used by the food industry as a preservative for processed meats. Autolysis from this type of nitrite derivative is often fatal. The case presented here concerns a 31-year-old woman found dead in her home, with an unlabeled bottle containing a white powder next to her. Toxicological analysis, performed in a forensic context, revealed only methemoglobinemia at 20.5%, without carboxyhemoglobin or cyanides. The chocolate brown color of the blood and the identification of sodium nitrite by ionic chromatography in an aqueous solution made from the unknown white powder, support the cause of death by ingestion of sodium nitrite, probably purchased on the internet. Even if cases remain rare, the resurgence of this mode of autolysis since 2018 should alert health professionals and public authorities to the free online access to these dangerous products. (c) 2022 Societe Francaise de Toxicologie Analytique. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. Allrights reserved.