Objective To analyze and compare the clinical characteristics on non-occupational mercury poisoning caused by different reasons.
Methods Total of 171 hospitalized patients of non-occupational mercury poisoning in Beijing Chaoyang hospital from 2005 to 2009 were divided into three groups according to their exposure reasons, namely environmental pollution group, cosmetic group and folk remedies group. Their clinical symptoms and signs, laboratory indices and therapeutic effects were analyzed.
Results Among 171 patients, 34 cases were in environmental pollution group, 90 cases in cosmetic group and 47 cases in folk remedies group. Neurasthenia syndrome, gastrointestinal symptoms, peripheral nerve damage and kidney damage were main manifestations in all patients. Compared with environmental pollution group, the patients in folk remedies group showed more serious symptoms such as irritable, nausea and edema. Compared with application of cosmetics group, it showed more serious symptoms such as irritable, mouth ador, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal pain, swollen gums and edema, and had more serious proteinuria and significantly increased β2-microglobulin(P<0.05). Urinary mercury level was higher in folk remedies group than the other two groups before treatment by sodium dimercaptosulphonate, and the course of treatment was significantly longer (P<0.05).
Conclusion The clinical characteristics of non-occupational mercury poisoning caused by various reasons were different. The severer clinical symptoms, the higher levels of urinary mercury, and the longer course of treatment were in patients caused by folk remedies.
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