CLINICAL COURSE OF SEVERE POISONING WITH THIOMERSAL

Case Report: A 44-year-old man ingested 83 mg/kg Thiomersal. He develo ped gastritis, renal tubular failure, dermatitis, gingivitis, delirium , coma, polyneuropathy and respiratory failure. Treatment was symptoma tic plus gastric lavage and the oral chelating agents dimercaptopropan e sulfonate and dimercaptosuccinic acid. The patient recovered complet ely. Maximum mercury concentrations were blood 14 mg/L, serum 1.7 mg/L , urine 10.7 mg/L, and cerebrospinal fluid 0.025 mg/L. Mercury concent ration in blood declined with two velocities: first with half-time 2.2 days, then with half-time 40.5 days. The decline of mercury concentra tion in blood, urinary mercury excretion, and renal mercury clearance were not substantially influenced by chelation therapy.