Hemolytic anemia caused by chemicals and toxins is a lack of enough red blood cells due to the destruction of red blood cells triggered by exposure to certain chemicals or toxins.

Anemia - hemolytic - caused by chemicals or toxins

Possible substances that can cause hemolytic anemia include:

• Anti-malaria drugs (quinine compounds)
• Arsenic
• Dapsone
• Intravenous water infusion (not half-normal saline or normal saline)
• Metals (chromium/chromates, platinum salts, nickel compounds, copper, lead, cis-platinum)
• Nitrites
• Nitrofurantoin
• Phenazopyridine (Pyridium)
• Rho immune globulin (WinRho)
• Ribavirin
• Snake bites (some snake venom contains hemolytic toxins)
• Sulfonamides
• Sulfones

Review Date: 01/31/2010
Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of Medicine; and Yi-Bin Chen, MD, Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)