Clinical Manifestations

Pulmonary Manifestations

• Mercury Fume Inhalation-Associated Pneumonitis
  • Epidemiology: not considered a type of metal fume fever
  • Exposure
    • Heated Metal Reclamation Process
      • Home refining of mercury-gold amalgams
      • Reclaiming of mercury from electronic equipment
    • Burning of Mercury Sulfide (Chinese Red Cinnabar)/Mercuric Oxide: for medicinal purposes
  • Physiology
    • High-intensity inhalation of mercury fumes -> exposure is common since mercury fume is not acutely irritating
      • Usually associated with poor ventilation
      • Inhibition of enzymatic and pneumocyte functions
  • Onset: symptoms usually begin 12-24 hrs after mercury fume exposure
  • Clinical
    • Acute Pneumonitis (see Pneumonia, [[Pneumonia]])
    • Fever (see Fever, [[Fever]])
      • May be present in some cases
  • Treatment
    • Chelation Treatment: not effective, but it is often used in mercury fume exposure
• Mercury Fume Inhalation-Associated Acute Lung Injury-ARDS (see Acute Lung Injury-ARDS, [[Acute Lung Injury-ARDS]]): features similar to above

Dermatologic Manifestations

• Allergic Contact Dermatitis (see Contact Dermatitis, [[Contact Dermatitis]]): associated with skin exposure to mercury

References

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