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- Title
Liposuction Technique Used as a Treatment Modality for Suicide Attempt by Injection of Mercury.
- Authors
Kotera, Sai; Shankar, K.; Rajagopalan, S.
- Abstract
Elemental mercury poisoning commonly occurs through vapour inhalation as it is well absorbed through the lungs. Administering subcutaneous and intravenous elemental mercury is very uncommon with only a few isolated case reports in literature. We present a case of attempted suicide by subcutaneous injection of elemental mercury, an unusual substance used for suicide. As the attempt at self-injury was not confessed by the patient, diagnosis was challenging. Patient was treated with an initial diagnosis of cellulitis, but with repeated and persistent questioning, a history of self-injection of mercury into the arm was revealed. On confirmation, mercury was aspirated from subcutaneous space similar to liposuction technique under X-ray guidance. Management of subcutaneous injection of elemental mercury with particular emphasis on the need for surgical removal of all available mercury is discussed.
- Subjects
RADIOGRAPHY of the arm; SUICIDE prevention; SUBCUTANEOUS injections; COMPUTED tomography; INTRAVENOUS therapy; LIPECTOMY; MERCURY; POISONS; RESPIRATORY therapy equipment; SELF-mutilation; THREE-dimensional imaging
- Publication
Indian Journal of Surgery, 2016, Vol 78, Issue 5, p411
- ISSN
0972-2068
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s12262-016-1534-6