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Abstract
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BACKGROUND: Mercury is a complex toxin with clinical manifestations determined by the chemical form, route, dose, and acuity of the exposure. Parenteral injection of elemental mercury remains uncommon.
CASE REPORT: A 40-year-old male injected 3 mL of elemental mercury intravenously and ingested 3 mL as a suicide attempt. Within 24 hours, he became dyspneic, febrile, tachycardic, and voiced mild gastrointestinal complaints. Chest X-ray revealed scattered pulmonary infiltrates and embolized mercury bilaterally. A ventilation/perfusion scan demonstrated ventilation/ perfusion deficits. Additionally, his renal function declined, as manifest by minor elevations in blood urea nitrogen and creatinine and decreased urine output. Pulmonary therapy, intravenous hydration, and chelation using 2,3-dimercaptoscuccinic acid (DMSA/Succimer) were started. Over the next 36 hours, the patient's pulmonary and renal functions improved. Temperature and heart rate subsequently normalized, and symptoms at discharge were mild exertional dyspnea.
DISCUSSION: Liquid mercury injected intravenously embolizes to the pulmonary vasculature and perhaps vessels in other organs such as heart and kidney. In-situ oxidation to inorganic mercury, which is directly toxic to a variety of tissues, may help explain the multisystem involvement.
CONCLUSION: Significant pulmonary dysfunction accompanied by radiographically demonstrated mercury emboli and temporary abnormalities in several organs improved shortly after initiation of chelation. The impact of chelation on long-term outcome of parenteral mercury exposure remains uncharacterized.
Language: en |
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Keywords
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Administration, Oral; Adult; Chelation Therapy; Fluid Therapy; Humans; Injections, Intravenous; Kidney; Lung; Male; Mercury; Mercury Poisoning; Pulmonary Embolism; Pulmonary Ventilation; Radiography, Thoracic; Respiration; Succimer; Suicide, Attempted |