title: Combined ingestion and subcutaneous injection of elemental mercury.
abstract: A 40-year-old man with a history of schizophrenia and inflammatory soft tissue lesions after self-injection of elemental mercury presented to the Emergency Department. Multiple skin abscesses associated with fever required operative debridement. An incidental finding of oral mercury ingestion was followed clinically and did not result in complications. Exposure to elemental mercury through injection or ingestion is an uncommon event, but one the Emergency Physician may encounter. Subcutaneous mercury injection should be managed with local wound debridement, whereas ingestions are rarely of clinical significance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Toxicology, Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona 85006, USA.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ruha
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Tanen
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Suchard
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Curry
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000601:surgery; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D003646:Debridement; D004630:Emergencies; D006801:Humans; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008630:Mercury Poisoning / Q000150:complications*; D011859:Radiography; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications*; D017695:Soft Tissue Injuries / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D013406:Suicide, Attempted