Mercury Serum:
Why Serum Mercury Test?
CLINICAL INFORMATION
Mercury (Hg) is a naturally occurring element that is found in the air, water and soil. Mercury is contained in many products including measuring devices like thermometers, barometers, batteries, electrical switches, lamps, dental filling (amalgam), pharmaceuticals, cosmetics etc. Mercury is non-essential and toxic metal in the human body. Mercury is a heavy metal that can be toxic. Human beings can be exposed to mercury mainly from polluted air or water. Mercury is excreted in urine and stool, but when an excess amount is inhaled or ingested, it accumulates and can permanently damage kidneys, nervous system and brain. Chronic exposure to mercury can be found in nail deposits, breath, breast milk, stool specimen etc. Accidental exposure to mercury even in small quantities in the body may cause serious health problems. It has toxic effects on the nervous, digestive, immune system, lungs, kidneys, skin, eyes etc. Clinical manifestations of acute or chronic exposure to mercury include tremors, disturbances in sensations, change in nerve responses, neuro-muscular changes (twitching, weakness, muscle atrophy etc), emotional changes (like nervousness, irritability, excessive shyness, mood swings etc). Rarely some people can get exposed to methylmercury (an organic compound), due to chronic and overconsumption of fish and shellfish and/or medications eg. Complementary medicines, alternative health remedies etc. It can also be acquired due to occupational hazards such as occupation related to mercury (inhalation of mercury vapours), coal-fire powered stations, residential coal burning for heating and cooking, waste incinerators, mining, and industrial processes (like boilers) etc. Toxic health effects and their severity depends upon factors such as the type of mercury ingested (in which form i.e form of inorganic salt formed by mercury eg. methylmercury is toxic while ethylmercury used vaccines are non-toxic), dose, age, duration of exposure, route of exposure (inhalation, ingestion, dermal contact etc). Inorganic salts of mercury are corrosive to skin, eyes, GIT, and kidneys (when mercury is accidentally ingested). Mercury is a neurotoxin and hence it can cause neurological and behavioural disorders (due to accidental inhalation or ingestion of mercury). Neurological symptoms include tremors, insomnia, memory loss, headaches, neuromuscular effects, cognitive and motor dysfunction etc. Clinical manifestations include proteinuria, kidney failure etc. Signs and symptoms of methylmercury poisoning may include loss of peripheral vision, muscle weakness, lack of coordination of movements, pins and needles sensation in hands, feet and around the mouth, impairment of speech, hearing, walking etc. Higher exposures may cause kidney failure, respiratory failure and death. Mercury blood tests or urine tests can be used to detect mercury levels in the body in case of accidental exposure. Other additional tests include CBC, comprehensive metabolic panel tests, imaging studies etc.
General Instructions:
Sample Requirement: Specimen - Blood sample collected from the vein. Test Preparation: None.
NOTE - Sample for specimen collections may vary based on the patient’s condition/cases according to the patient’s presenting complaints/signs or symptoms:
SPECIMEN REQUIREMENT (Special or Rare Cases) - As instructed and guided by Physician / Clinician / Pathologist / as per Laboratory’s requirements, according to procedures and protocols.
This Multi-Specialty Clinical Referral Laboratory RT DIAGNOSTICS provides precise and accurate tests with an extensive range of testing services to the medical centres to help in the diagnosis and identification of pathology in the test specimens for infectious diseases and also to evaluate the function of organ systems of the patient. It prevents further complications and helps to stabilize and restore health to near normalcy at the earliest without delay.
