METHEMOGLOBINEMIA IN A HOSPITAL NURSERY: A SEARCH FOR CAUSATIVE FACTORS.

Eighteen cases of methemoglobinemia occurred among premature and newborn infants in a hospital nursery. Investigation revealed many suspicious anilinecontaining materials, of which trichlorocarbanilide (TCC) seemed the most likely source of toxicity. The outbreak ceased when hospital procedures were modified extensively. Subsequent laboratory tests, made in an effort to determine the specific offending substance, revealed the importance of careful clinical epidemilogical study in dealing with such situations.