Exposição acidental a vapores de mercúrio na prática pediátrica

Abstract

 

Medical doctors, nurses, attendants, and patients at the UFRJ paediatric hospital were accidentally exposed to inorganic mercury. From July to December 1992, 228 mercury thermometers were broken in 6 paediatric wards. Contamination of the exposed group was assessed by a comparative cross sectional study in January 93. Mercury concentration was found to be two times higher in the urine of these professionals than in the control group (p<0.001).