Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) Health, Safety, and Nutrition Practice Exam

The recommended medical intervention for severe mercury poisoning is gastric lavage and chelation therapy. This approach is effective in reducing the body's mercury levels and addressing the poisoning's toxic effects.

Gastric lavage, or stomach pumping, is performed to remove any unabsorbed mercury if the exposure was recent. This procedure can help mitigate further absorption of mercury into the bloodstream. Chelation therapy involves administering chelating agents, which bind to mercury in the body and facilitate its excretion through urine. This method is critical in cases of severe toxicity as it helps reduce the overall burden of mercury, minimizing potential damage to organs and systems.

Other methods, such as bed rest and hydration, may support recovery but do not target the removal of mercury from the body. Immediate surgery is generally not a standard treatment for mercury poisoning unless there are complications that require surgical intervention. Pain relief medications can assist in managing symptoms but do not address the underlying cause of mercury toxicity. Therefore, the combination of gastric lavage and chelation therapy is the most appropriate and targeted response to severe mercury poisoning.