It is given by slow injection into a vein.Side effects can include low blood pressure, headache, shortness of breath, loss of consciousness, and vomiting. Greater care should be taken in people with underlying heart disease. The patients levels of methemoglobin should be regularly checked during treatment. While not well studied during pregnancy, there is some evidence of potential harm to the baby. Sodium nitrite is believed to work by creating methemoglobin that then binds with cyanide and thus removes it from the mitochondria.Sodium nitrite came into medical use in the 1920s and 1930s. It is on the World Health Organizations List of Essential Medicines. Suicide
Several academic publications in 2020 and 2021 have discussed the toxicity of sodium nitrite, and an apparent recent increase in suicides from using sodium nitrite which had been ordered online. The usage of sodium nitrite as a suicide method has been heavily discussed on suicide forums. Sodium nitrite was also the culprit of the McCarthy et al v Amazon lawsuit alleging that Amazon knowingly assisted in the deaths of healthy children by selling them "suicide kits" as Amazons "frequently bought together" feature recommended buying sodium nitrate, an antiemetic and a suicide instruction book together. Toxicity
Sodium nitrite is toxic. The LD50 in rats is 180 mg/kg and in human LDLo is 71 mg/kg. Yet, death by sodium nitrite ingestion can happen at lower dose. Sodium nitrite is sometimes used for homicide. The online marketplace eBay has globally prohibited the sale of sodium nitrite since 2019.
When sodium nitrite is added with the salt, the meat develops a red, then pink color, which is associated with cured meats such as ham, bacon, hot dogs, and bologna.In the early 1900s, irregular curing was commonplace. This led to further research surrounding the use of sodium nitrite as an additive in food, standardizing the amount present in foods to minimize the amount needed while maximizing its food additive role. Through this research, sodium nitrite has been found to give taste and color to the meat and inhibit lipid oxidation that leads to rancidity, with varying degrees of effectiveness for controlling growth of disease-causing microorganisms. The ability of sodium nitrite to address the above-mentioned issues has led to production of meat with extended storage life and has improved desirable color and taste. According to scientists working for the meat industry, nitrite has improved food safety. This view is disputed in the light of its ineffectiveness against botulism and the possible carcinogenic effects caused by adding nitrites to meat.Nitrite has the E number E250. Potassium nitrite (E249) is used in the same way. It is approved for usage in the EU, USA and Australia and New Zealand.In meat-processing, sodium nitrite is never used in a pure state but always mixed with common salt. This mixture is known as nitrited salt, curing salt or nitrited curing salt. In Europe, nitrited curing salt contains between 99.1% and 99.5% common
salt and between 0.5% and 0.9% nitrite.