title: Acute Mercury Poisoning in a Group of School Children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Elemental mercury is a toxic liquid element that is used widely in the home, medicine, agriculture, and industry. It is readily vaporized and inhaled at room temperature. Thereby, inhalation can cause acute or chronic poisoning. Mercury can be found in environmental naturally find but some dangers sources give rise to contaminations. It can be very dangerous to all living organisms, especially children.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study presents the features of mercury poisoning in a group of pediatric cases. Data were obtained for 29 pediatric cases exposed to elemental mercury in a high school chemistry laboratory in Turkey. Patients with a blood mercury level exceeding 10 μg/L or a urine mercury level exceeding 15 μg/L were considered to have mercury poisoning. The patients were treated with 2,3-dimercaptopropane sulfonic acid or D-penicillamine.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-nine children with mercury poisoning were admitted to the hospital. The median duration of exposure was 58 (range, 15-120) minutes. Ten (29%) children were asymptomatic. Physical and neurological examinations were normal in 19 (65.5%) children. The most common presenting complaint was headache. The most common neurological abnormality, partly dilated/dilated pupils, was present in 9 (31%) children. Mercury levels were measured in blood samples every 5 days, and the median blood mercury level was 51.98 (range, 24.9-86.4) μg/L. There was a positive correlation between the duration of exposure and maximum blood/urine mercury levels (P = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elemental mercury exposure is potentially toxic; its symptomatology varies, especially in children. Secure storage of mercury and other toxic substances and provision of information about this subject to individuals who might be exposed to mercury and their families might help to prevent mercury poisoning.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Pediatric Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University, Kahramanmaras.
authors.forename: Olcay
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Güngör
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Emergency, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, Adana.
authors.forename: Ahmet Kağan
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Özkaya
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Pediatric Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University, Kahramanmaras.
authors.forename: Serkan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kirik
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Intensive Care, Faculty of Medicine, Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University, Kahramanmaras.
authors.forename: Tahir
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dalkiran
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Necip Fazil City Hospital, Kahramanmaras, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gülay
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Güngör
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Pediatric Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University, Kahramanmaras.
authors.forename: Sedat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Işikay
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Intensive Care, Faculty of Medicine, Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University, Kahramanmaras.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Davutoğlu
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Pediatric Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University, Kahramanmaras.
authors.forename: Cengiz
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dilber
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine; D008630:Mercury Poisoning / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D000070316:Pediatric Emergency Medicine; D010396:Penicillamine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D014494:Unithiol / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D002614:Chelating Agents; D014494:Unithiol; D008628:Mercury; D010396:Penicillamine