Erythromelalgia ; complications ; Female ; Humans ; Mercury Poisoning ; complications ; Middle Aged

Along with global environmental pollution resulting from economic development, heavy metal poisoning in children has become an increasingly serious health problem in the world. It can lead to renal injury, which tends to be misdiagnosed due to the lack of obvious or specific early clinical manifestations in children. Early prevention, diagnosis and intervention are valuable for the recovery of renal function and children's good health and growth. This paper reviews the mechanism of renal injury caused by heavy metal poisoning in children, as well as the clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and prevention and treatment of renal injury caused by lead, mercury, cadmium, and chromium.
Cadmium Poisoning ; Child ; Chromium ; poisoning ; Heavy Metal Poisoning ; Humans ; Kidney Diseases ; chemically induced ; Lead Poisoning ; Mercury Poisoning ; Poisoning ; complications

Atrioventricular Block ; chemically induced ; Child ; Humans ; Male ; Mercury Poisoning ; complications

Adult ; Humans ; Male ; Mercury ; Mercury Poisoning ; complications ; Stevens-Johnson Syndrome ; pathology

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 penicillamine for acute chemical pneumonitis was instituted; radiologic pulmonary infiltrates disappeared within a week, but late phase neurologic sequelae and pulmonary interstitial fibrosis progressed.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones/administration & dosage ; Aged ; Antidotes/administration & dosage ; Disease-Free Survival ; Human ; Inhalation Exposure/adverse effects* ; Male ; Mercury Poisoning/diagnosis ; Mercury Poisoning/complications* ; Penicillamine/administration & dosage ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult/drug therapy ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult/chemically induced* ; Substances:Penicillamine ; Substances: Antidotes ; Substances: Adrenal Cortex Hormones

There were only a few reports of mercury on pulmonary artery. However, there is no data on surgery related mercury dissemination. The objective of the present article is to describe one case of postoperative injected mercury dissemination. A 19-year-old man presented severe neck pain including meningeal irritation sign and abdominal pain after injection of mercury for the purpose of suicide. Radiologic study showed injected mercury in the neck involving high cervical epidural space and subcutaneous layer of abdomen. Partial hemilaminectomy and open mercury evacuation of spinal canal was performed. For the removal of abdominal subcutaneous mercury, C-arm guided needle aspiration was done. After surgery, radiologic study showed disseminated mercury in the lung, heart, skull base and low spinal canal. Neck pain and abdominal pain were improved after surgery. During 1 month after surgery, there was no symptom of mercury intoxication except increased mercury concentration of urine, blood and hair. We assumed the bone work during surgery might have caused mercury dissemination. Therefore, we recommend minimal invasive surgical technique for removal of injected mercury. If open exposures are needed, cautious surgical technique to prohibit mercury dissemination is necessary and normal barrier should be protected to prevent the migration of mercury.
Abdomen ; Abdominal Pain ; Diphtheria Toxoid ; Epidural Space ; Haemophilus Vaccines ; Hair ; Heart ; Humans ; Lung ; Mercury Poisoning ; Neck ; Neck Pain ; Needles ; Postoperative Complications ; Pulmonary Artery ; Skull Base ; Spinal Canal ; Suicide ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo study the diagnostic method for early renal injury in the workers exposed to mercury (Hg).

METHODSThe contents of urinary Hg were determined by chemical method. Urinary microalbumin (mALB), beta(2)-microglodulin (beta(2)-MG) and retinol binding protein (RBP) levels were measured with total quantitative enzyme immunoassay. The activities of urinary N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (gamma-GT) were determined by rate methods. Urinary creatinine (Cr) was measured by using picric acid method.

RESULTSThe levels of urinary BRP, beta(2)-MG, NAG and gamma-GT in exposed workers [(439.7 +/- 201.4), (141.4 +/- 56.3) micro g/g Cr and (12.3 +/- 5.7), (60.3 +/- 18.5) U/g Cr respectively] were significantly higher than those in controls (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The levels were increased gradually with the increasing contents of urinary Hg. The positive detection rate for single or two combined indexes was rather lower whereas that for 4 combined indexes was as high as 85.5%. A positive correlation was noted between the contents of urinary Hg and urinary BRP, beta(2)-MG, NAG and gamma-GT (r: 0.466, 0.379, 0.323, 0.311, P < 0.05). Urinary RBP was correlated to urinary beta(2)-MG, NAG and gamma-GT (r: 0.362, 0.354, 0.332, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONCombined detection of urinary RBP, beta(2)-MG, NAG and gamma-GT is a sensitive method for the diagnosis of early renal injury in the workers exposed to Hg.

Acetylglucosaminidase ; urine ; Adult ; Albuminuria ; urine ; Creatinine ; urine ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney ; injuries ; physiopathology ; Kidney Diseases ; etiology ; urine ; Male ; Mercury Poisoning ; complications ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects ; Retinol-Binding Proteins ; urine ; gamma-Glutamyltransferase ; urine