Ethyl mercury poisoning during a protein A immunoadsorption treatment.
We describe the case of a 38-year-old woman with Guillain-Barré syndrome who was accidentally intoxicated with thimerosal, a column disinfectant containing ethyl mercury, during a protein A immunoadsorption treatment. The 1-time overdose caused by an equipment handling error led to a maximum blood serum mercury level of 2,250 microg/L, thus exceeding the normal blood reference range by a factor of approximately 200. Although the patient did not show short-or long-term clinical signs of mercury intoxication, she was treated with chelation therapy, and we replaced thimerosal with a commercially available mercury-free disinfectant, suggesting that thimerosal is no longer indicated for preservation of protein A columns.
Koch
Michael
M
Center of Nephrology, Mettmann, Germany. koch@dialyse-mettmann.de
Trapp
Rudolf
R
D000328:Adult; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000506:poisoning*; D005035:Ethylmercury Compounds / Q000506:poisoning*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007163:Immunosorbent Techniques; D013205:Staphylococcal Protein A; D013849:Thimerosal / Q000506:poisoning*
D004202:Disinfectants; D005035:Ethylmercury Compounds; D013205:Staphylococcal Protein A; D013849:Thimerosal