Question:
A factory worker presents with excessive salivation, blue lines on gums, tremors, disturbed personality, insomnia and loss of appetite. The most likely poisoning is:
A factory worker presents with excessive salivation, blue lines on gums, tremors, disturbed personality, insomnia and loss of appetite. The most likely poisoning is:
Show Hint
Tremor plus erethism plus heavy salivation is one classic metal triad.
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
- Mercury
- Lead
- Arsenic
- Phosphorus
Show Solution
Verified By Collegedunia
The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Identify the cluster of features. Excessive salivation, fine tremors, behavioural and personality change, insomnia and anorexia together point to chronic mercury poisoning (mercurialism).
Step 2: Chronic mercury exposure produces a classic triad: tremor (the mercurial tremor), erethism (timidity, irritability, personality change, insomnia, memory loss) and gingivitis with excessive salivation. A blue line on the gums can also be seen. So option A is correct.
Step 3: Option B is wrong. Lead poisoning gives a blue Burton line on the gums, but the rest of the picture differs: colic, wrist drop, anaemia with basophilic stippling and lead encephalopathy, not marked salivation with the erethism-tremor pattern. The combined salivation plus tremor plus personality change fits mercury better.
Step 4: Option C is wrong. Arsenic causes the rice-water diarrhoea, raindrop pigmentation, hyperkeratosis and Mees lines on the nails, not this salivation-tremor-erethism syndrome.
Step 5: Option D is wrong. Phosphorus poisoning causes garlic breath, vomiting and the typical staged hepatic damage, not these neuropsychiatric and salivary features.
Conclusion: Salivation, tremor and erethism in a factory worker indicate mercury. Answer: option A.
Step 2: Chronic mercury exposure produces a classic triad: tremor (the mercurial tremor), erethism (timidity, irritability, personality change, insomnia, memory loss) and gingivitis with excessive salivation. A blue line on the gums can also be seen. So option A is correct.
Step 3: Option B is wrong. Lead poisoning gives a blue Burton line on the gums, but the rest of the picture differs: colic, wrist drop, anaemia with basophilic stippling and lead encephalopathy, not marked salivation with the erethism-tremor pattern. The combined salivation plus tremor plus personality change fits mercury better.
Step 4: Option C is wrong. Arsenic causes the rice-water diarrhoea, raindrop pigmentation, hyperkeratosis and Mees lines on the nails, not this salivation-tremor-erethism syndrome.
Step 5: Option D is wrong. Phosphorus poisoning causes garlic breath, vomiting and the typical staged hepatic damage, not these neuropsychiatric and salivary features.
Conclusion: Salivation, tremor and erethism in a factory worker indicate mercury. Answer: option A.
Was this answer helpful?
0
0
Top NEET PG Forensic Medicine Questions
- A child before playing consumed fruit from the garden. After some time he developed a high fever, confusion, photophobia, and unable to urinate. What are the likely causative agent and the appropriate antidote used in this case?
- The method of autopsy carried out en masse to remove from tongue to prostate is.
- A 42-year-old HIV-positive patient died, and his body was brought for post-mortem. The method of autopsy to be done is___
- A 10-year-old male child came to the casualty with difficulty in walking and pain in the perianal region. On subjecting the specimen from the perianal region to a test, it produces yellow needle-shaped rhombic crystals with picric acid. What is the test done?
- A patient was brought to casualty with seizures. He had multiple episodes and was taking herbal medicines for the same. He was conscious in between the episodes. During the episodes, he had arching of his back. What is the likely cause?
View More Questions
Top NEET PG Toxicology - Heavy Metal Poisoning Questions
- Muscle pain and nephropathy are caused by which metal poisoning?
- Which metal results in "saturnine gout" formation?
- Muscle pain along with nephropathy is caused by which metal poisoning?
- A patient presents with proximal tubule proteinuria. Which metal is most likely associated with it?
- Muttering delirium is characteristically seen in poisoning with:
View More Questions
Top NEET PG Questions
- A patient hailing from Delhi presents with fever, arthralgia, and extensive petechial rash for 3 days. Lab investigations revealed a hemoglobin of 9 g/ dL, a white blood cell count of 9000 cells/mm3, a platelet count of 20000 cells/mm3, and a prolonged bleeding time. The clotting time was normal. What is the most likely diagnosis?
- Which of the following statements is true about Trichomonas vaginalis?
- A lady from West Rajasthan presented with an ulcer surrounded by erythema on the right leg. Microscopy of the biopsy from the edge of the ulcer showed organisms with dark staining nuclei and kinetoplast. What is the most likely causative agent?
- A child presents with a fever and a rash. Urine examination showed cells with owl's eye appearance. What is the most likely diagnosis?
- Infection with Clonorchis sinensis is associated with an increased risk of__?
View More Questions