Being alive after a severe inorganic mercury intoxication.
Inorganic mercury intoxication should be considered a potentially life-threatening condition that leads to widespread progressive gastrointestinal, renal, hepatic, hematologic, neuropsychiatric, and dermatologic system hazards. We report here a 10-year-old girl with severe inorganic mercury intoxication whose blood and urine mercury levels were 5,380 microg/L (normal, 0.6 to 59 microg/L) and 91 microg/L (normal, 0.1 to 20 microg/L), respectively, to reveal that life can be saved and complete recovery can be achieved even if the clinical situation is very severe. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a mercury intoxication being alive with such a high blood mercury level in children in English pediatric literature.
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Dr. Sami Ulus Children's Health and Diseases Education and Research Hospital, Telsizler, Ankara, Turkey. nilzeyno@yahoo.com
Nilgun
N
Erkek
Saliha
S
Senel
Avni
A
Sarac
Ulker
U
Ertan
Can Demir
CD
Karacan
D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008630:Mercury Poisoning / Q000628:therapy*