title: [Poisoning with elementary mercury: attempted suicide by inhalation of vapors from the heated metal].
abstract: This paper reports on a case of attempted suicide by the rare means of prolonged inhalation of fumes from heated mercury. The patient developed symptoms of acute intoxication over a period of 4 to 24 hours after the suicide attempt. This phase consisted of pulmonary, intestinal, psychopathological and neurological signs, persisting at varying intensities for approximately 3 weeks; it was succeeded by a chronic phase with peripheral nerve changes, initially of the axonal type, but later also showing signs of demyelinisation. Furthermore, a pronounced organic brain syndrome developed. The psychopathological, somatic and detoxification results are presented, whereby the symptomatology worsened even after substantial mercury excretion. A follow-up 4 months after the acute episode confirmed the chronicity of the central and peripheral nervous impairment. Therapeutic measures (BAL and aminopenicillin) are discussed; the use of these even 13 weeks after exposure caused massive mercury excretion.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002524:Cerebellar Ataxia / Q000139:chemically induced; D014695:Cerebral Ventriculography; D004112:Dimercaprol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005665:Furosemide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008628:Mercury / Q000652:urine; D008630:Mercury Poisoning / Q000473:pathology*; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced; D013406:Suicide, Attempted; D013831:Thiamine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014202:Tremor / Q000139:chemically induced; D014835:Volatilization
chemical_list: D002511:Cephalosporins; D004112:Dimercaprol; D005665:Furosemide; D008628:Mercury; D013831:Thiamine
vernacular_title: Intoxikation durch elementares Quecksilber (Suizidversuch durch Einatmen der Dämpfe des erhitzten Metalls).