A Cross-Sectional Survey of Acquired Subclinical Methemoglobinemia among Hospital Healthcare Professionals in Sandstorm Episode of Ambient Air Pollution: Tehran-Iran, Pulse Co-Oximetry

Subclinical methemoglobinemia (MetHb) is an occult disease. Clinical diagnosis is difficult. Acquired MetHb is a most common presentation in practice, and its detection help to improve health status of involved individuals. Healthcare professionals enumerate as one of the at risk groups against adverse health effects. All the participations were hospital healthcare professionals and to follow designed criteria to the study. A total of 117 healthcare professionals fulfilled the criteria of study. Mean age was 39±9 SD years, ranged 20-60 years. Female sex included 52%. Frequency of MetHb was detected in 6% of population. Of them, 71% were male. All the subjects were diagnosed with MetHb located at the poor-ventilated workplaces. There were significant differences between MetHb and carboxyhemoglobin levels (P<0.001). Subclinical MetHb was meaningful in the target of population. It may be originated due to ambient air pollution. There was high-frequency levels of involvement in men had. Evaluation the causal factors are an impact that will require the future studies.