TY - JOUR
PY - 2021//
TI - Acute intranasal intoxication with mercuric chloride taken accidently instead of cocaine - a case report
JO - Journal of forensic and legal medicine
A1 - Magdalan, Jan
A1 - Sozanski, Tomasz
A1 - Nowak, Karolina
A1 - Zawadzki, Marcin
SP - e102129
EP - e102129
VL - 78
IS -
N2 - CONTEXT: Mercuric chloride (mercury (II) chloride) belongs to inorganic mercury compounds characterized by good water solubility and associated high toxicity. The paper describes an unusual case of intranasal intoxication with corrosive sublimate confused with cocaine by a young male. CASE REPORT: Intranasal administration of corrosive sublimate caused severe local symptoms of chemical burn within the nasal cavity. From the 2nd day the patient developed symptoms of renal dysfunction with transient polyuria and serum retention of nitrogen metabolites. The patient was undergoing chelation therapy with DMPS, N-acetylcysteine and d-penicyllamine. Four procedures of haemodialysis were performed with simultaneous DMPS and N-acetylcysteine treatment. The urine mercury level on the first day of hospitalization was 1989 μg/L, and after 26 days of treatment returned to the physiological level. During treatment renal function was normalized, the patient was discharged in general good condition.
DISCUSSION: Mercuric chloride is readily absorbed from the nasal cavity. Its administration may cause intoxication manifested by both chemical burn at the exposure site and systemic symptoms, particularly renal impairment. Even in case of renal dysfunction the use of DMPS seems safe, if haemodialysis is performed at the same time. Simultaneous haemodialysis and chelation therapy may accelerate elimination of mercury from the organism.
Language: en
LA - en SN - 1752-928X UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jflm.2021.102129 ID - ref1 ER -