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Laboratory results showed severe haemolysis. Bedside solubility and flotation tests on the white ball suggested that the ingested substance was a naphthalene mothball. Treatment with red blood cell transfusion, ascorbic acid and folic acid led to clinical improvement and normalisation of MetHb levels. Infrared spectroscopy confirmed the presence of naphthalene in the white ball. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency was confirmed during outpatient follow-up. The patient achieved full clinical recovery.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1136\/bcr-2025-268683","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,28]],"date-time":"2026-02-28T05:05:19Z","timestamp":1772255119000},"page":"e268683","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Haemolysis and methaemoglobinaemia following naphthalene ball ingestion"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"19","author":[{"given":"Cassidy Q B","family":"Mostert","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Emergency Medicine, Medical Centre Haaglanden, The Hague, Netherlands"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Berber","family":"Hospes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Medical Centre Haaglanden, The Hague, Netherlands"},{"name":"Apotheek Haagse Ziekenhuizen, AHZ, The Hague, Netherlands"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0305-1271","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jorik Hans","family":"Amesz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Medical Centre Haaglanden, The Hague, Netherlands"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sharif","family":"M Pasha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, Medical Centre Haaglanden, The Hague, Netherlands"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026022721051107000_19.2.e268683.1","unstructured":"PubChem compound summary for cid 931, naphthalene. 2025. 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