Can mercury in a thermometer poison people?
What if children swallow mercury in thermometers by mistake? Do you want a gastric lavage? Can I drink egg white to detoxify?
This question has already been answered in the book “Questions and Answers on Medication Knowledge” published in Clove Garden. When doctors face children who eat mercury in thermometers by mistake, the treatment is cold mix, that is, observation and follow-up.The elemental mercury in the thermometer is inorganic, its chemical properties are inactive, and it does not react with gastric acid. It mainly enters the body through respiratory tract in the form of steam. The complete skin is basically not absorbed, and the digestive tract has little absorption.
Suggestions from China Poisoning Control Center: After the thermometer is broken or crushed, first check whether the skin and mucous membrane are damaged. If there is no damage, It will not cause harm, so it will not be used as special treatment for contacts. For those who have skin stabbing injuries, such as mercury entering the skin, they need to be treated in time and need to be debrided by a surgeon. If mercury enters the digestive tract, there is generally no need for special treatment. Therefore, what sodium dimercaptopropane sulfonate intramuscular injection and oral penicillamine are unreliable answers.
The little mercury swallowed by mistake can induce vomiting and gastric lavage. There are also suggestions to drink raw egg white and milk, which is purely for show.
What about swallowing mercury by mistake?
The correct approach is to observe and follow up, Mercury is usually excreted from the digestive tract within a few days. If you don’t rest assured, you can do at most one abdominal plain film, Observe the specific location of mercury in the abdomen. Modern medical research conclusions tell us that Mercury enters the human digestive tract, It will not cause mercury poisoning. However, it should be noted that If the skin is damaged, Or inhaled a large amount of metal mercury vapor, It can still cause mercury poisoning, It needs to be dealt with as soon as possible. Dr. Hao Fengtong (Department of Occupational Diseases and Poisoning Medicine, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital) also wrote in his blog post: Looking back on similar reports in the past, Most of the medical personnel and the media concerned said that, It is precisely because of timely medical treatment and treatment that, To make the patient recover quickly. In the field of poisoning medicine, Oral intake of metallic mercury does not lead to mercury poisoning, It is an indisputable fact. Swallowing mercury from the thermometer, Prejudices that lead to mercury poisoning, Sometimes to patients and their families, Even at the social level, Including psychological and financial burdens. Dr. Hao gave an example: In 2007, A father from Chaohu Lake in Anhui Province, Embracing a 22-month-old child, After travelling to several provinces and cities to seek medical treatment in Beijing, The reason is that the child bit the thermometer during the temperature test, Worried about mercury poisoning and seeking medical treatment everywhere. From the county seat to the provincial capital, From the provincial capital to Beijing, During this period, I traveled back and forth between the provincial capital and many medical and health institutions in Beijing. The hardships paid by the father and son may be unforgettable. Let the public know that oral intake of metallic mercury will not lead to mercury poisoning. It requires the efforts of professional doctors, It also requires the efforts of the media. While people still believe that swallowing mercury in thermometers can lead to mercury poisoning, The cost is often expensive. Therefore, I hope everyone can popularize science to those around you who still think that mercury in thermometers can cause mercury poisoning, so that they can also read this article, lift a finger and change the world. Reference article: 1, clove garden tintin < < how many poisoning can be done again? (Question and Answer on Medication Knowledge) > > 2, Hao Fengtong < < Swallowing Mercury in Thermometer Can It Lead to Mercury Poisoning? > >