A Case of Accidental Inorganic Mercury Poisoning

Mercuric chloride was accidentally ingested by a nineteen-month old boy. He exhibited severe symptoms of inorganic mercury poisoning including acute renal failure. The blood mercury level at the time of admission to hospital was 1920 ng/mL. Following emergency hemodialysis, BAL (2, 3-dimercaptopropanol) therapy and penicillamine treatment, blood levels fell to 500 ng Hg/mL and urine production restarted six days after exposure. Urine mercury reached a high of 2349 ng/mL but rapidly decreased to less than 100 ng/mL within eight days after resumption of voiding. The patient was discharged from hospital a month after admission and follow-up examinations have indicated no permanent renal damage. Blood, hair, and urine samples collected 19 months after the exposure showed normal mercury levels (blood, 6 ng Hg/mL; urine, 7 ng Hg/mL; and hair 500-900 ng Hg/g).