Mercury toxicity

• Remove from the exposure
• Airway Breathing and Circulation (ABC)
• Give oxygen
• Copious irrigation of the skin if skin involvement
• Do gastric lavage if ingested mercury and observed in the abdominal radiographs
• Do Hemodialysis when renal function has declined.

Surgical intervention: To remove mercury that has been logged in the intestine or colon

• Pharmacological

• Activated Charcoal as in ingested poisons
• 2,3-dimercapto succinic acid (DMSA or succimer) 10 mg/kg PO 8 hourly for 5 days; follow by 10 mg/kg/dose 12hr for 14 days; not to exceed 500 mg/dose

In acute inorganic mercury poisoning:

Give dimercaprol:

• Day 1: 5mg/kg deep IM once for 1 day
• Day 2–11: 2.5mg deep IM 12 hourly for 10 days

Prevention

Educate the patient on Dos and Don’ts of poisoning prevention.

Do’s

• Keep medicines and poison in proper containers and out of reach of children
• Use containers with child resistant caps
• Keep all products in their original container
• Read medicine labels carefully to avoid mistake

Don’ts

• Leave container open
• Transfer products from their origin
• Remove labels from the medicine products
• Put tablets into another containers such as purse or envelope
• Medicine/tablets as sweet
• Take your medicine in front of children as they often copy

References

1. STG