Epidemiology, clinical presentation, treatment, and follow-up of chronic mercury poisoning in China: a retrospective analysis.

BACKGROUND: There are no reports on the incidence of chronic mercury poisoning in a large population in China. This study investigated the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, treatment, and follow-up of Chinese patients with chronic mercury poisoning. METHODS: Data for 288 mercury poisoning patients were collected at our hospital from July 2014 to September 2019, including sex, age, admission time, blood mercury content, urine mercury content, creatinine, urinary mercury/creatinine ratio, 24-h urinary protein levels, electromyography (EMG) findings, renal biopsy, and follow-up. Patient characteristics were evaluated by statistical and correlation analyses. RESULTS: First, mercury poisoning in China mainly occurred through occupational exposure and the inappropriate use of mercury-containing cosmetics and Chinese folk remedies (CFRs). Second, the most common symptoms were nervous system (50.3 %), kidney (16.4 %) and breathing (8.0 %). Mercury poisoning-induced Nephrotic syndrome (NS) and peripheral neuropathy are common long-term complications. The complications of occupational and cosmetics-induced mercury poisoning are consistent with international belief. However, the NS caused by CFRs is mainly membranous nephropathy and the probability of peripheral neuropathy caused by CFRs is higher than other pathogens. Third, follow-up data shows that 13 patients with EMG-confirmed neurological injury, 10 showed full recovery after 38.50 ± 8.03 months. Furthermore, among 18 patients with NS, 15 had normal urine protein and serum albumin levels after 22.67 ± 10.26 months. CONCLUSIONS: Regulation of skin-lightening cosmetic products, safety surveillance of CFRs, and prevention and control of occupational exposure must be improved to decrease the incidence of mercury poisoning in China.

Clinical analysis of 380 botulism patients caused by cosmetic injection of botulinum toxin / 中华急诊医学杂志

Objective:To analyze and summarize the basic characteristics and clinical features of botulism patients caused by cosmetic injection of botulinum toxin.Methods:Retrospective investigation and analysis method were used to analyze the data of botulism patients caused by cosmetic injection of botulinum toxin admitted to the Poisoning Treatment Center of the PLA from March 2016 to June 2019.Results:Total of 380 cases were included in this study, including 114 hospitalized cases and 266 emergency cases. The majority patients (97.4%) were female, and most of them (39.5%) were among 30-39 years old. Most of the cases occurred in beauty salons or beauty studios, and most of the botulinum toxin injected was fake and inferior products. Onset latency were mainly distributed in 3 to 6 days. Common clinical symptoms included dizziness, blurred vision, eyes open weakness, dysphagia, chest tightness of breath, fatigue, diplopia, nausea, bilateral eyelid drooping, and dysarthria. The "4D" sign of cranial nerve injury occurred less frequently, mainly with mild and moderate poisoning; The occurrence rates of dysarthria, dysphagia, eyes open weakness, blurred vision, choking in drinking water, chewing weakness, bilateral eyelid drooping, decreased limb muscle strength, and chest tightness of breath in the hospitalized case were significantly higher than those in the emergency cases (all P < 0.05). Three hundred and nine patients received botulinum antitoxin therapy. The dose of botulinum antitoxin was 20 000 (20 000-30 000) U, with a total treatment duration of 4 (3-7) days in the emergence cases, and 30 000 (30 000-50 000) U with a total treatment time of 8 (5-11) days in the hospitalized cases, and there were significant differences between the two groups ( P < 0.05). All cases were followed up with good prognosis. Conclusions:Cosmetic injection of botulinum toxin has certain risk. If symptoms of poisoning occur such as dizziness, blurred vision, eyes open weakness and dysphagia, patients should be treated promptly, and early treatment with botulinum antitoxin can improve the prognosis.

Efficacy analysis of prussian blue or its combination with hemoperfusion in the treatment of acute thallium poisoning / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective@#To investigate the efficacy of prussian blue (PB) or its combination with hemoperfusion (HP) in the treatment of acute thallium poisoning.@*Methods@#Forty-seven patients with acute thallium poisoning with complete data hospitalized in the 307th Hospital of PLA from September 2002 to December 2017 were enrolled, and they were divided into mild poisoning group (blood thallium < 150 μg/L, urinary thallium < 1 000 μg/L) and moderate-severe poisoning group (blood thallium ≥ 150 μg/L, urinary thallium ≥ 1 000 μg/L) according to the toxic degrees. All patients were given symptomatic supportive treatments such as potassium supplementation, catharsis, vital organ protections, neurotrophic drugs, and circulation support. The mild poisoning patients were given PB with an oral dose of 250 mg·kg-1·d-1, while moderate-severe poisoning patients were given PB combined HP continued 2-4 hours each time. The PB dose or frequency of HP application was adjusted according to the monitoring results of blood and urine thallium. Data of gender, age, pain grading (numeric rating scale NRS), clinical manifestations, blood and urine thallium before and after treatment, length of hospitalization and prognosis were collected.@*Results@#Of the 47 patients, patients with incomplete blood and urine test results, and used non-single HP treatment such as plasmapheresis and hemodialysis for treatment were excluded, and a total of 29 patients were enrolled in the analysis. ①Among 29 patients, there were 20 males and 9 females, median age of 40.0 (34.0, 49.0) years old; the main clinical manifestations were nervous system and alopecia, some patients had digestive system symptoms. There were 13 patients (44.8%) in the mild poisoning group with painless (grade 0) or mild pain (grade 1-3) with mild clinical symptoms, the length of hospitalization was 17.0 (14.2, 21.5) days. There were 16 patients (55.2%) in the moderate-severe poisoning group with moderate pain (grade 4-6) or severe pain (grade 7-10) with severe clinical symptoms, the length of hospitalization was 24.0 (18.0, 29.0) days. ② After treatment, the thallium concentrations in blood and urine in the mild poisoning group were significantly lower than those before treatment [μg/L: blood thallium was 0.80 (0, 8.83) vs. 60.00 (40.00, 120.00), urine thallium was 11.30 (0, 70.10) vs. 370.00 (168.30, 610.00), both P < 0.01], the thallium concentrations in blood and urine in the moderate-severe poisoning group were also significantly lower than those before treatment [μg/L: blood thallium was 6.95 (0, 50.50) vs. 614.50 (245.00, 922.00), urinary thallium was 20.70 (1.95, 283.00) vs. 5 434.00 (4 077.20, 10 273.00), both P < 0.01]. None of the 29 patients died, and their clinical symptoms were improved significantly. All the 27 patients had good prognosis without sequela in half a year follow-up, and 2 patients with severe acute thallium poisoning suffered from nervous system injury.@*Conclusion@#In the acute thallium poisoning patients, on the basis of general treatment, additional PB in mild poisoning group and PB combined with HP in moderate-severe poisoning group can obtain satisfactory curative effects.