In the last month of 2008, domestic production and exports of mercury medical measuring instrument enterprise, one from Argentina for this industry, the news brought a trace of negative corporate news, the Argentine government announced it would ban the production and import of mercury thermometer.
In fact, this morning a few years ago has started. Sweden as early as 1992 had banned all mercury containing medical equipment for sale; the United States since 2000, San Francisco, Boston and Michigan Dengduogezhou and cities began to ban mercury thermometers; EU also decided in 2005, from 2005 to 4 years, mercury thermometers away from European markets, and banned from 2011, the export of such thermometers. EU ban mercury thermometers reason is that if the thermometer broken, the mercury flow mouth even be swallowed, will cause the risk of liver and kidney mercury poisoning; if the skin is broken mercury thermometer scratched, may cause inflammation of skin infections, and if the mercury enters the blood will be life-threatening .
Standing in our family, the hospital system commonly used in measuring mercury, especially mercury thermometer was why more and more countries and regions of the ban?
Harm can not be ignored alternatives take time to promote
Experts believe that the mercury thermometer on the environment, patients and medical staff of the potential hazard can not be ignored. Because mercury thermometers are made of glass materials, easily broken during use, so that mercury leaks. For example, people put their mouth closed beta on body temperature , if the thermometer breaks, the mercury is likely to flow to the mouth and even to be swallowed; If the skin is broken mercury thermometers scratched, it can cause infection, cause inflammation of the skin; but if the mercury into the human blood will endanger life. "impact of mercury on the environment should also be cause for public concern." National Technical Committee of the temperature measurement, said the Secretary-General Chen Wei Xin. According to statistics, broken mercury thermometers in each of the waste as there are more than 10 tons of mercury.
Chen Wei Xin, at present the use of mercury thermometers are quite common in China, health authorities have not promulgated regulations limit the use of mercury thermometers. "Mercury thermometer is the national compulsory certification of measuring instruments, production and use of a longer time, have a perfect test procedures, stable, the error is small and low cost, medical institutions have been using it as a medical diagnosis. But in recent years, increasing environmental pollution of mercury thermometers taken seriously, some of the relevant alternatives are being stepped up the development and promotion, electronic thermometers, infrared thermometer and other new products also have the use of some hospitals. "
But Chen Wei Xin, admits that while the use of electronic thermometer has a safe, simple reading, the advantages of temperature time is short, but for various reasons, the promotion of electronic thermometer still take some time. "The first is the accuracy of electronic products is not enough stability; followed high cost of electronic products, promote them difficult. As another non-contact infrared thermometer, the accuracy is not high all the more highlighted. "It is understood that a mercury thermometer in the price of 23 yuan, while the an electronic thermometer prices ranging from 20 to 80. Therefore, mercury thermometers are still the major hospitals and families of choice for measuring body temperature.
Lack of standardized evaluation methods look forward to the early introduction of
"Price is really high to promote the development of electronic thermometer in a bottleneck, but more important is our lack of electronic thermometer to measure the accuracy of the evaluation method, we always have a kind of electronic thermometer skepticism, so that is a kind of electronic thermometer are not recognized or embarrassing situations. "
According to reports, the State Food and Drug Administration to draft a "medical electronic thermometer" National standards have been promulgated in 2008. The standard provides electronic thermometer for medical terms and definitions, requirements, test methods, inspection rules, standardized technical characteristics of products to ensure product efficacy and safety. "national standard products only from the perspective of product safety performance requirements, but also a thermometer measuring instruments, China still lacks a precise measurement of the electronic thermometer assessment of standards of measurement. because there is no relevant test procedures or calibration standard, many manufacturers of products can not be measured assessment of its accuracy, stability, no way of knowing, which is outside the accuracy of the electronic thermometer , the stability of the root causes of doubt. "
Temperature measurement reporter from the National Technical Committee was informed that they had organized experts to complete a "medical electronic thermometer calibration and standardization" validation. The Secretary-General Chen Wei Xin introduced, the calibration standard is expected to be introduced in 2009, hopes the introduction of calibration standard will contribute to e thermometer to replace mercury thermometers. Mao built that use electronic or other types of thermometer mercury thermometer is an inevitable trend of alternative to measure the accuracy of product measurement measurement standards promulgated as soon as possible in order to promote the early realization of electronic thermometers.
