Boy bit and broke thermometer, got mercury poisoning

Son La A three-year-old boy had a fever. His parents put a thermometer in his mouth to measure his temperature. The child then bit it and broke it. He was hospitalized due to mercury poisoning.

On July 26, doctors at the Intensive Care and Anti-Poison Department of Son La General Hospital said the child was admitted with a high fever, with many scratches and bleeding on the oral mucosa, throat, and tonsils. The doctor diagnosed acute pharyngitis, first-hour mercury poisoning, and prescribed diuretic and laxative fluids combined with antibiotics.

Relatives said that the child had a high fever and the parents put a thermometer in his mouth to measure his temperature. Then the child started crying and bit the thermometer. The parents gave first aid by turning the child upside down and rinsing his mouth with clean water before taking him to the hospital.

Currently, the patient's health is stable and he can communicate well. However, the child needs to continue detoxification treatment and monitor liver and kidney complications due to mercury poisoning.

Mercury is a very toxic chemical, even a very small amount leaked from a thermometer can be harmful, especially to young children. Signs of poisoning depend on the time of exposure and concentration. Inhaling mercury can lead to acute lung disease, causing the victim to cough, have difficulty breathing, chest pain, fever, chills. Severe cases can lead to acute pulmonary edema, respiratory failure and death.

In case a child swallows mercury, absolutely do not turn it upside down, as it can easily cause mercury and fragments to cause inflammation and scratches. If the thermometer falls on the floor, you must not use a vacuum cleaner because mercury is volatile at high temperatures and can enter the body through the respiratory tract. Mercury particles should be brushed or swept away as soon as possible, collected and disposed of similarly to other toxic substances in the environment.

Minh An

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