Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in the Treatment of Acute Elemental Mercury Inhalation Toxicity.

Inhalation of elemental mercury is a rare cause of ARDS, with limited published case reports to provide guidance regarding disease progression and management. Although extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been used to treat toxin-induced lung injury, its application to initial treatment and long-term recovery for inhalation of mercury remains undescribed. We present a case of a 56-year-old man who works at a thermometer factory presenting with severe ARDS secondary to inhaled elemental mercury with confirmatory blood and urine mercury levels.