Lead poisoning overview
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Aksiniya Stevasarova, M.D. Leena Josephin Jetty, M.B.B.S[2]
Overview
Overview
Lead poisoning is a medical condition, also known as saturnism, plumbism, or painter’s colic caused by increased blood lead levels. Lead may cause irreversible neurological damage as well as renal disease, cardiovascular effects, and reproductive toxicity.
Humans have been mining and using this heavy metal for thousands of years, poisoning themselves in the process due to accumulation and exposure. These dangers have long been known, though the modern understanding of their full extent and the small amount of lead necessary to produce them is relatively recent; blood lead levels once considered safe are now considered hazardous, with no known threshold. Reducing these hazards requires both individual actions and public policy regulations. [1]
Classification
Classification
Pathophysiology
Pathophysiology
Causes
Causes
Differentiating Lead poisoning from Other Diseases
Differentiating Lead poisoning from Other Diseases
Epidemiology and Demographics
Epidemiology and Demographics
Risk Factors
Risk Factors
Screening
Screening
Natural History, Complications, and Prognosis
Natural History, Complications, and Prognosis
Diagnosis
Diagnosis
Diagnostic Study of Choice
History and Symptoms
Physical Examination
Laboratory Findings
Electrocardiogram
X-ray
Echocardiography and Ultrasound
CT scan
MRI
Other Imaging Findings
Other Diagnostic Studies
Treatment
Treatment
Medical Therapy
Surgery
Primary Prevention
Secondary Prevention
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