Symptoms of mercury poisoning with a broken thermometer

Symptoms of mercury poisoning with a broken thermometer are quite pronounced and you can notice them in time if you know what they appear in. The use of modern electronic thermometers is far from suitable for everyone, since the temperature on them sometimes does not correspond to our usual ideas, and mercury thermometers are more convenient for the reason that we are “so used to it”. But the main problem with conventional thermometers is that when they are handled carelessly or shaken vigorously, they literally slip out of their hands, fall, and balls of liquid mercury roll on the floor and fragments of medical glass lie. Although it is highly discouraged to remove the remnants of the broken device with your own hands, and even without protective equipment, many are afraid to call special services and take up work on their own. After this, the logical question arises, what are the symptoms of mercury poisoning with a broken thermometer.

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What is mercury?

Mercury is a chemical element from the group of heavy metals. In its composition, it includes a combination of salts and oxides, and the very first are very toxic.

The question is whether it is possible to poison with mercury by breaking a thermometer, it is quite appropriate. But you can answer it yourself if you know exactly how mercury enters the body. The paths are different:

1. Through the skin. Such a development of events will arise if you collect this heavy metal from a broken thermometer with your bare hands. The process of negative impact will be quite slow, but still there is a place to be.
2. Through the mucous membranes. A very dangerous situation is if mercury gets into your eyes or is swallowed. In the first case, the drops can simply fly off into your eyes if the thermometer crashes on the surface just below them. In the second - of course, an adult is unlikely to intentionally use this chemical, but a small child may well like the beautiful rolling droplets on the floor. In this situation, a toxic liver poisoning reaction occurs, and quite quickly.
3. After inhalation of vapors or direct contact with blood. Such a variant of infection can occur if the thermometer did not fly out of your hands, and you hit it with force on a nearby hard surface and the fragments cut your hands. Inhalation of vapors occurs if you have not used a mask or a respirator and have long removed the remnants of a liquid substance. In this case, the symptoms of mercury poisoning with a broken thermometer will not take long.

Important! The version that mercury thermometers are safe is erroneous. In one device for measuring human body temperature is usually about 2 g of substance. Half of this amount is a serious threat to health - such poisoning is fatal. Therefore, if you notice symptoms of mercury poisoning with a broken thermometer, immediately contact an ambulance. Even better - immediately leave the room after an unpleasant situation and call a special service to disinfect your home.

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Symptoms of Mercury Poisoning

Acute forms of poisoning are less common than lethargic, but persistent poisoning of the whole organism.Therefore, if soon after the accident you notice some signs of malaise, carefully consider your feelings and relate them to the list of symptoms of mercury poisoning with a broken thermometer. These include:

• growing headaches;
• a feeling of persistent lethargy and fatigue, combined with increasing irritability;
• confusion of consciousness;
• limb tremor or seizure condition;
• the presence of a metallic taste in the mouth and increased salivation;
• a disorder of the digestive tract, occurring in the form of rapid, loose stools, vomiting, nausea;
• development of non-infectious pneumonia with subsequent bouts of hemoptysis.

Important! The combination of symptoms can be different - it all depends on the person's age, his physical condition, body weight. But in any case, you need to pay attention to the presence of malaise. Otherwise, inaction can cause pulmonary edema and suffocation, hepatic and renal failure.

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How to treat mercury poisoning?

If you could not avoid getting the substance inside and the symptoms of mercury poisoning with a broken thermometer made themselves felt, act urgently. Usually, doctors recommend this therapy:

1. Thorough washing of all mucous membranes.
2. Cleansing the stomach with a solution of potassium permanganate - exclusively through a probe to prevent damage to the digestive tract even more with the return movement of heavy metal.
3. The introduction of the antidote is intravenous and intramuscular. Usually use the drug “Unithiol”.
4. Conducting hemodialysis.
5. Reception of sorbents - at least 4 times a day.

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Quick action plan for removing mercury from an accident site

To minimize the risk of symptoms of mercury poisoning with a broken thermometer, you must maintain a “bright” head and act according to this algorithm:

1. Urgently remove everyone from the room where the thermometer crashed. Do not panic.
2. Close windows and doors so that the draft does not blow metal throughout the room or into the corridor.
3. Wear a protective mask - even a gauze bandage will do.
4. Put shoe covers on your feet - if not, put on ordinary small plastic bags and rubber gloves on your hands.
5. Do not forget to wear glasses, but better with transparent glasses.
6. Arm yourself with a glass container with a tight-fitting lid, sheets of paper and a band-aid. Collect the balls with sheets or plasters.
7. Quickly place them in a glass jar.
8. Let another member of your family call the rescue service at this time and call specialists to treat the room from mercury and dispose of it.
9. Close the vessel tightly with drops of liquid metal, pack in plastic bags all the items on which you collected them, as well as personal protective equipment, it is advisable to change clothes.
10. Rinse hands, face thoroughly with running water.

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Now you know exactly what the symptoms of mercury poisoning can be with a broken thermometer and what a similar situation can lead to. In any case, keep calm and immediately seek the help of specialists. Henceforth, more accurately measure your temperature.