Parents BEWARE! 2-year-old child swallows mercury after thermometer breaks in mouth

In a shocking incident, a two-year-old boy swallowed mercury when a thermometer broke in his mouth. However, he was saved due to early diagnosis and timely intervention by doctors at a hospital in Delhi.

As per ANI report, a two-year-old kid was brought to the hospital after the thermometer broke in his mouth. As there were no visible signs of abdominal pain or vomiting initially, so it was difficult to assess the extent of mercury ingestion.

The kid was initially managed conservatively with laxatives under close observation. However, despite the use of laxatives, an abdominal X-ray revealed a substantial amount of mercury spread throughout the bowel, posing significant health risks.

Even after 48 hours, there was no improvement in mercury clearance. Then Dr Sufla Saxena, Head of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and her team proceeded with an urgent colonoscopy.

The mercury was located throughout the large bowel and at the tip of the appendix. A comprehensive bowel lavage (a procedure that involves flushing out the large intestine with liquid to clean it) was conducted to flush out the mercury from the colon.

The procedure succeeded, and the child was discharged the very next day. A follow-up X-ray confirmed that the mercury was fully cleared, eliminating the need for chelation therapy.

The timely intervention successfully prevented the potential dangers of mercury toxicity.

What to do if a thermometer broke inside mouth?

If a thermometer breaks in your mouth, you should rinse your mouth with water and spit to remove any remaining mercury.