Case report of metallic mercury injury.

OBJECTIVE

Injury and poisoning from metallic mercury has become a rare event. Review of the literature and a case report of pediatric metallic mercury injury are presented.

DESIGN

A case report.

SETTING

The Emergency Department at St. Louis Children's Hospital.

PATIENTS OR

PARTICIPANTS

A 15-year-old boy.

INTERVENTIONS: None.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: None.

RESULTS

The 15-year-old boy fell on a broken mercury thermometer. A subcutaneous abscess formed on his left forearm during the next five days. He had no signs or symptoms of mercury toxicity. His wound was debrided in the operating room and healed completely after several months.

CONCLUSIONS

This case shows elemental mercury from a thermometer as a potential, if unusual, source of mercury toxicity.