Citation

Rowens B, Guerrero-Betancourt D, Gottlieb CA, Boyes RJ, Eichenhorn MS. Chest 1991; 99(1): 185-190.

Affiliation

Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1991, American College of Chest Physicians)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

1984951

Abstract

A family of four was exposed to toxic levels of mercury vapor while attempting to extract silver from mercury amalgam. All four suffered respiratory failure and subsequent death despite chelation therapy with dimercaprol. Histologic findings at autopsy were similar in all four cases demonstrating a progression of acute lung injury that appeared related to postexposure day survival. There were no clinical signs of extrapulmonary manifestations despite toxic serum mercury levels. Although serum mercury levels decreased in response to the mercury chelating agent dimercaprol, serum levels remained in the toxic range and no clinical response was observed. Acute inhalational exposure to high concentrations of mercury vapor causes pneumonitis that can lead to respiratory failure and death. This continues to be a health hazard in both the workplace and the home environment.

Language: en