BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuMerbromin poisoningCinfacrom poisoning; Mercurochrome poisoning; Stellachrome poisoningMerbromin is a germ-killing (antiseptic) liquid. Merbromin poisoning occurs when someone swallows this substance. This can be by accident or on purpose.This article is for information only. DO NOT use it to treat or manage an actual poison exposure. If you or someone you are with has an exposure, call your local emergency number (such as 911), or your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. Poisonous Ingredient Merbromin is a combination of mercury and bromine. It is harmful if it is swallowed. Where Found Merbromin is found in some antiseptics. A common brand name is Mercurochrome, which contains mercury. Compounds like this that contain mercury have not been legally sold in the United States since 1998. Symptoms Below are symptoms of merbromin poisoning in different parts of the body.BLADDER AND KIDNEYSDecreased urine output (may stop completely) Kidney damage EYES, EARS, NOSE, MOUTH, AND THROATExcessive saliva Inflammation of the gums Metallic taste in the mouth Metallic tasteTaste impairment means there is a problem with your sense of taste. Problems range from distorted taste to a complete loss of the sense of taste. A...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Mouth sores Mouth soresThere are different types of mouth sores. They can occur anywhere in the mouth including bottom of the mouth, inner cheeks, gums, lips, and tongue....Read Article Now Book Mark Article Swelling in the throat (can be severe and completely close the throat) Swollen salivary glands Thirst STOMACH AND INTESTINESDiarrhea (bloody) DiarrheaDiarrhea is when you pass loose or watery stool.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Stomach pain (severe) VomitingVomitingNausea is feeling an urge to vomit. It is often called "being sick to your stomach. "Vomiting or throwing-up forces the contents of the stomach up t...Read Article Now Book Mark Article HEART AND BLOODShockShockShock is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body is not getting enough blood flow. Lack of blood flow means the cells and organs do n...Read Article Now Book Mark Article LUNGSBreathing difficulty (severe) Breathing difficultyBreathing difficulty may involve:Difficult breathing Uncomfortable breathingFeeling like you are not getting enough airRead Article Now Book Mark Article NERVOUS SYSTEMDizziness DizzinessDizziness is a term that is often used to describe 2 different symptoms: lightheadedness and vertigo. Lightheadedness is a feeling that you might fai...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Memory problems Problems with balance and coordination Speech difficulties Tremor TremorA tremor is a type of shaking movement. A tremor is most often noticed in the hands and arms. It may affect any body part, including the head, tong...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Mood or personality changes InsomniaInsomniaInsomnia is trouble falling asleep, staying asleep through the night, or waking up too early in the morning. Episodes of insomnia may come and go or ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Home Care Get medical help right away. Do not make the person throw up unless poison control or a health care provider tells you to. Before Calling Emergency Have this information ready:Person's age, weight, and condition Name of product (ingredients and strength, if known) Time it was swallowed Amount swallowed Poison Control Your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.Poison control centerFor a POISON EMERGENCY call:1-800-222-1222ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATESThis national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. This ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. What to Expect at the Emergency Room Take the container to the hospital with you, if possible.The provider will measure and monitor the person's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure.Vital signsVital signs reflect essential body functions, including your heartbeat, breathing rate, temperature, and blood pressure. Your health care provider m...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Treatment may include:Fluids through a vein (by IV) Medicine called an antidote to reverse the effect of the poison Activated charcoal Laxatives Tube through the mouth into the stomach to wash out the stomach (gastric lavage) Gastric lavageGastric suction is a procedure to empty the contents of your stomach.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Breathing support, including tube through the mouth into the lungs, and breathing machine (ventilator)VentilatorA ventilator is a machine that breathes for you or helps you breathe. It is also called a breathing machine or respirator. The ventilator: Is attac...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Outlook (Prognosis) How well someone does depends on how much merbromin was swallowed and how quickly treatment is received. The faster medical help is given, the better the chance for recovery.If the person takes an antidote to reverse the poison within 1 week, recovery is usually likely. If the poisoning has occurred over a long period of time, some mental and nervous system problems may be permanent.Open ReferencesReferencesAronson JK. Mercury and mercurial salts. In: Aronson JK, ed. Meyler's Side Effects of Drugs. 16th ed. Waltham, MA: Elsevier; 2016:844-852.Theobald JL, Mycyk MB. Iron and heavy metals. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 146.AllVideoImagesTogRelated Information Review Date: 11/2/2023 Reviewed By: Jesse Borke, MD, CPE, FAAEM, FACEP, Attending Physician at Kaiser Permanente, Orange County, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. © 1997- All rights reserved. A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.
Merbromin poisoningCinfacrom poisoning; Mercurochrome poisoning; Stellachrome poisoningMerbromin is a germ-killing (antiseptic) liquid. Merbromin poisoning occurs when someone swallows this substance. This can be by accident or on purpose.This article is for information only. DO NOT use it to treat or manage an actual poison exposure. If you or someone you are with has an exposure, call your local emergency number (such as 911), or your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. Poisonous Ingredient Merbromin is a combination of mercury and bromine. It is harmful if it is swallowed. Where Found Merbromin is found in some antiseptics. A common brand name is Mercurochrome, which contains mercury. Compounds like this that contain mercury have not been legally sold in the United States since 1998. Symptoms Below are symptoms of merbromin poisoning in different parts of the body.BLADDER AND KIDNEYSDecreased urine output (may stop completely) Kidney damage EYES, EARS, NOSE, MOUTH, AND THROATExcessive saliva Inflammation of the gums Metallic taste in the mouth Metallic tasteTaste impairment means there is a problem with your sense of taste. Problems range from distorted taste to a complete loss of the sense of taste. A...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Mouth sores Mouth soresThere are different types of mouth sores. They can occur anywhere in the mouth including bottom of the mouth, inner cheeks, gums, lips, and tongue....Read Article Now Book Mark Article Swelling in the throat (can be severe and completely close the throat) Swollen salivary glands Thirst STOMACH AND INTESTINESDiarrhea (bloody) DiarrheaDiarrhea is when you pass loose or watery stool.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Stomach pain (severe) VomitingVomitingNausea is feeling an urge to vomit. It is often called "being sick to your stomach. "Vomiting or throwing-up forces the contents of the stomach up t...Read Article Now Book Mark Article HEART AND BLOODShockShockShock is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body is not getting enough blood flow. Lack of blood flow means the cells and organs do n...Read Article Now Book Mark Article LUNGSBreathing difficulty (severe) Breathing difficultyBreathing difficulty may involve:Difficult breathing Uncomfortable breathingFeeling like you are not getting enough airRead Article Now Book Mark Article NERVOUS SYSTEMDizziness DizzinessDizziness is a term that is often used to describe 2 different symptoms: lightheadedness and vertigo. Lightheadedness is a feeling that you might fai...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Memory problems Problems with balance and coordination Speech difficulties Tremor TremorA tremor is a type of shaking movement. A tremor is most often noticed in the hands and arms. It may affect any body part, including the head, tong...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Mood or personality changes InsomniaInsomniaInsomnia is trouble falling asleep, staying asleep through the night, or waking up too early in the morning. Episodes of insomnia may come and go or ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Home Care Get medical help right away. Do not make the person throw up unless poison control or a health care provider tells you to. Before Calling Emergency Have this information ready:Person's age, weight, and condition Name of product (ingredients and strength, if known) Time it was swallowed Amount swallowed Poison Control Your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.Poison control centerFor a POISON EMERGENCY call:1-800-222-1222ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATESThis national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. This ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. What to Expect at the Emergency Room Take the container to the hospital with you, if possible.The provider will measure and monitor the person's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure.Vital signsVital signs reflect essential body functions, including your heartbeat, breathing rate, temperature, and blood pressure. Your health care provider m...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Treatment may include:Fluids through a vein (by IV) Medicine called an antidote to reverse the effect of the poison Activated charcoal Laxatives Tube through the mouth into the stomach to wash out the stomach (gastric lavage) Gastric lavageGastric suction is a procedure to empty the contents of your stomach.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Breathing support, including tube through the mouth into the lungs, and breathing machine (ventilator)VentilatorA ventilator is a machine that breathes for you or helps you breathe. It is also called a breathing machine or respirator. The ventilator: Is attac...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Outlook (Prognosis) How well someone does depends on how much merbromin was swallowed and how quickly treatment is received. The faster medical help is given, the better the chance for recovery.If the person takes an antidote to reverse the poison within 1 week, recovery is usually likely. If the poisoning has occurred over a long period of time, some mental and nervous system problems may be permanent.Open ReferencesReferencesAronson JK. Mercury and mercurial salts. In: Aronson JK, ed. Meyler's Side Effects of Drugs. 16th ed. Waltham, MA: Elsevier; 2016:844-852.Theobald JL, Mycyk MB. Iron and heavy metals. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 146.