Citation

Gao Z, Ying X, Yan J, Wang J, Cai S, Yan C. Clin. Chim. Acta 2016; 465: 119-122.

Affiliation

Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: yanch@shkeylab-ceh.org.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.cca.2016.12.019

PMID

28027882

Abstract

BACKGROUND: We investigated the clinical characteristics of a 3-month-old infant with acute mercury vapor poisoning. Clinical symptoms of acute mercury poisoning in infants include acute onset, rapid progression, severe illness with respiratory symptoms that may result in pneumothoraces and aspiration pneumonias. CASE PRESENTATION: A 3-month-old girl presented with pneumothoraces and respiratory failure to the hospital. Two days before hospitalization, the girl had stayed in a room containing mercury vapor for several hours. She was hospitalized for acute mercury poisoning. We used sodium dimercaptosulphonate (DMPS) for treatment.

CONCLUSION: Pulmonary disease was mainly induced by the inhalation of mercury vapor. The disease was characterized by acute respiratory distress, pneumothorax and acute chemical pneumonitis. It responded to chelation therapy with the agent DMPS.

Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Language: en