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Other Medical Equipment
Esophageal dilators
Esophageal dilators are used to dilate the esophagus in cases when the opening has narrowed. The dilator is slipped down the patient’s throat into the esophagus, allowed to remain in place for several minutes, and extracted. Maloney and Hurst bougie tubes are dilators that have different properties (e.g., blunt vs. pointed tip).
Mercury dilators: Mercury dilators are becoming rare. They have a thick latex outer coating encapsulating two to three pounds of mercury. Mercury’s density and liquid state make it useful as a weight. Over time, the latex covering can become brittle, which may lead to rupture and release of mercury.
Mercury-free alternatives: Water- and tungsten-filled dilators are common alternatives to mercury dilators. In tungsten-filled dilators, the tungsten is in the form of a powder suspended in a gel. It is dense, more inert than mercury, and flows when dispersed.
Disposal: It is illegal to put mercury-containing devices into the garbage or biomedical waste ("red bag"). Out-of-service devices must be disposed of through a mercury reclamation facility or a hazardous waste management company.
Gastrointestinal tubes
Some gastrointestinal tubes contain mercury. These include Abbott-Miller, Sengstaken-Blakemore, and Cantor tubes. Gastrointestinal tubes with mercury, used in the extraction of intestinal obstructions, are no longer common.
Mercury tubes: A gastrointestinal tube consists of an internal tube to allow for the passage of air and an outer tube containing mercury, for weight. These devices contain about two pounds (1000 gms) of mercury, when filled. The weight of the mercury guides the tube into place using gravity.
Mercury-free alternatives: Tungsten-weighted tubes are safer alternatives to mercury tubes. Disposal: It is illegal to put mercury-containing devices into the garbage or biomedical waste ("red bag"). Out-of-service devices must be disposed of through a mercury reclamation facility or a hazardous waste management company.
Disposal: It is illegal to put mercury-containing devices into the garbage or biomedical waste ("red bag"). Out-of-service devices must be disposed of through a mercury reclamation facility or a hazardous waste management company.
Eye surgery: Intraocular pressure reducer
Small bags of mercury have been historically used as weights to apply pressure to the eye prior to cataract surgery. Now, mercury pressure reducers are not commercially available, and the practice of weighting the eye is largely obsolete.
Mercury-free alternatives: New techniques and less invasive tools for surgery mean that the practice of weighting the eye prior to cataract surgery is less common. A mercury-free device called the Honan Intraocular Pressure Reducer can replace the use of mercury bags.
Disposal: It is illegal to put mercury-containing devices into the garbage or biomedical waste ("red bag"). Out-of-service devices must be disposed of through a mercury reclamation facility or a hazardous waste management company.
For more information contact Taylor Watson, Health and Environmental Investigator, at taylor.watson@kingcounty.gov.
