Respiratory failure and death following acute inhalation of mercury vapor. A clinical and histologic perspective.

نویسندگان

  • B Rowens
  • D Guerrero-Betancourt
  • C A Gottlieb
  • R J Boyes
  • M S Eichenhorn
چکیده

A family of four was exposed to toxic levels of mercury vapor while attempting to extract silver from mercury amalgam. All four suffered respiratory failure and subsequent death despite chelation therapy with dimercaprol. Histologic findings at autopsy were similar in all four cases demonstrating a progression of acute lung injury that appeared related to postexposure day survival. There were no clinical signs of extrapulmonary manifestations despite toxic serum mercury levels. Although serum mercury levels decreased in response to the mercury chelating agent dimercaprol, serum levels remained in the toxic range and no clinical response was observed. Acute inhalational exposure to high concentrations of mercury vapor causes pneumonitis that can lead to respiratory failure and death. This continues to be a health hazard in both the workplace and the home environment.

برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید

ثبت نام

اگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید

منابع مشابه

Mercury Reference Exposure Levels - PR draft

Elemental mercury exposures adversely affect several organ systems, with the effects of acute, high level inhalation exposures first appearing in the lungs as pulmonary dysfunction, possibly followed by respiratory failure leading to death. At lower levels of exposure, the kidneys and brain, especially the developing brain, are more sensitive targets. Short term maternal exposure to mercury vap...

متن کامل

Mercury inhalation poisoning and acute lung injury

Acute mercury inhalation poisoning is a rare cause of acute lung injury. It is usually fatal because of progressive pulmonary failure. We experienced a patient with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) after illicit use of mercury vapor for hemorrhoid treatment; he developed acute chemical pneumonitis following exposure to mercury vapor. Prompt treatment with corticosteroids and penicilla...

متن کامل

Acute Kidney Injury, Myocardial Infarction and Death Following Brake Fluid Poisoning; A Case Report

Background: Ethylene glycol is a toxic alcohol which is used in brake fluid, antifreeze, coolants, preservatives and chemical solvents. Ethylene glycol poisoning usually results in depression of the central nervous system, renal insufficiency and cardiopulmonary compromise, while laboratory findings include metabolic acidosis, increased anion gap, increased osmolar gap and calcium oxalate cryst...

متن کامل

Inhalational mercury toxicity from artisanal gold extraction reported to the Oregon poison center, 2002-2015.

CONTEXT Mercury exposure has been described among small-scale gold mining communities in developing countries, but reports of inhalational mercury toxicity among home gold extractors in the US remain uncommon. OBJECTIVE We sought to identify inhalational mercury exposures and toxicity among artisanal gold extractors. METHODS This is an observational case series of a single Poison Center dat...

متن کامل

P-1: The Impact of Gasoline Vapor Inhalation on Serum Levels of Testosterone in Male Rats

s:1080:"Background: Studies have shown that gasoline vapor influences many physiological aspects of body. The present study was exerted to evaluate the effects of gasoline vapor inhalation on serum levels of testosterone in male rats. Materials and Methods: Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control, gasoline vapor receiving for 1hour, 2 hours and 3 hours/day. After 10 weeks, blood sam...

متن کامل

ذخیره در منابع من


  با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید

برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید

ثبت نام

اگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید

عنوان ژورنال:
  • Chest

دوره 99 1  شماره 

صفحات  -

تاریخ انتشار 1991