Question

A patient is brought to the emergency department after inhaling mercury. The nurse should be alert for which acute adverse effects associated with mercury inhalation?

1)
Chest pain, pneumonitis, and inflammation of the mouth
2)
Intestinal obstruction and numbness of the hands
3)
Hypotension, oliguria, and tingling of the feet
4)
Tachycardia, hematuria, and diaphoresis

Answer 1

After inhaling mercury, a nurse should monitor for acute symptoms like chest pain, pneumonitis, and inflammation of the mouth, as these align with typical acute mercury toxicity presentations. The correct option is (1).

Step-by-step explanation:

Acute Adverse Effects of Mercury Inhalation:

When a patient is brought to the emergency department after inhaling mercury, the nurse should be alert for acute adverse effects that typically include flu-like signs and symptoms such as chills, fever, and muscle ache, known as "the cadmium blues". However, these are symptoms of cadmium exposure, not mercury. For mercury, symptoms of acute mercury toxicity often arise after a latent period of several hours, with symptoms progressing to include nausea, cough, dyspnea, and pulmonary edema. Inflammation of the mouth, chest pain, and pneumonitis are acute reactions that may also occur in the context of inhalation of mercury vapors.

Prolonged exposure or high-dose exposure can lead to more severe symptoms including psychological disturbances, tremors, neurological effects, and kidney damage. In more chronic cases, symptoms could include numbness in the hands and feet, coordination problems, and skin rashes, among others. Thus, among the options provided, the patient with mercury inhalation is likely to exhibit symptoms similar to the first option: (1) Chest pain, pneumonitis, and inflammation of the mouth.