title: Intravenous injection of metallic mercury: case report and course of mercury during chelation therapy with DMPS.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although several cases of i.v. injection of metallic mercury have been reported, it still remains an uncommon event.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 34-year-old male came to hospital because complaining of pleuritic chest pain. X-ray showed radio dense punctate lesions in both lung fields, as well as around both elbows. Mercury concentration in blood (140 microg/L) and urine (320 microg/L) from the patient were significantly elevated, compared with the reference concentrations of < or = 2.0 mug/L mercury in blood and urine. The course of renal elimination of mercury and the mercury concentration in whole blood during 5 months of chelation therapy with sodium 2,3-dimercapto-1-propanesulfonate (Dimaval) were monitored. Furthermore, the time-course of mercury in scalp hair from the patient was determined.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We report a case of probable consecutive i.v. administration of metallic mercury.
authors.affiliation: Karl-Franzens University Graz, Institute of Chemistry-Analytical Chemistry, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vallant
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Deutsch
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muntean
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Goessler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000931:Antidotes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000209:etiology; D004550:Elbow; D006197:Hair / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity; D008630:Mercury Poisoning; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014494:Unithiol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014965:X-Rays
chemical_list: D000931:Antidotes; D002614:Chelating Agents; D014494:Unithiol; D008628:Mercury