Lin T C, Gue Z W, Hwang M S
Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi (Taipei). 1989 Feb;43(2):141-6.
Two characteristics, volatility and biotransformation, make mercury somewhat unique as environmental toxicant, and make mercury poisoning as one of occupational diseases in the industry. Acute mercury vapor poisoning is a rare event. It often occurs during industrial accident or ignorant experiment. We report a case, a 28-year-old male waterworks technician, who developed dyspnea, cough, chest pain, metallic taste and ache in the whole body three hours after heating approximately 30 ml of liquid mercury during an experiment. Diarrhea with tarry stool occurred the next day. Chest roentgenogram revealed diffuse pulmonary infiltrates similar to pulmonary edema in both lungs, and was complicated by pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema later. The concentration of mercury in the plasma was over the toxic level. The urinary excretion of mercury greatly exceeded normal value. During hospitalization, the patient's liver and renal function tests were both normal. He was treated with penicillamine, 300 mg every six hours orally for 10 days in addition to a support treatment and oxygen therapy. He was discharged on the 15th hospital day with partial resolution of pulmonary infiltrates and was free of symptom.
汞作为一种环境毒物具有挥发性和生物转化这两个特性，这使得汞中毒成为工业领域的职业病之一。急性汞蒸气中毒是一种罕见事件。它常发生在工业事故或无知的实验过程中。我们报告一例病例，一名28岁男性自来水厂技术员，在一次实验中加热约30毫升液态汞三小时后，出现呼吸困难、咳嗽、胸痛、金属味和全身疼痛。第二天出现柏油样便腹泻。胸部X线片显示双肺弥漫性肺部浸润，类似肺水肿，随后并发纵隔气肿和皮下气肿。血浆中汞浓度超过中毒水平。尿汞排泄量大大超过正常值。住院期间，患者的肝肾功能检查均正常。除支持治疗和氧疗外，他还接受青霉胺治疗，口服300毫克，每6小时一次，共10天。他在住院第15天出院，肺部浸润部分消退且无症状。
