MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Lead poisoning

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Lead poisoning

Contents of this page:
Definition Poisonous Ingredient Where Found Symptoms Home Treatment	Before Calling Emergency Poison Control, or a local emergency number What to expect at the emergency room Expectations (prognosis)

Definition

Poisoning from an overdose of lead.

Poisonous Ingredient

lead

Where Found

pottery glaze
some paints
storage batteries
some solders
some toys

Note: This list may not be all inclusive.

Symptoms

body as a whole
- tremor
- twitching
- convulsions
- muscle soreness
- fatigue
- weakness
- joint pain
- incoordination
eyes, ears, nose, and throat
- visual abnormalities
gastrointestinal
heart and blood vessels
- high blood pressure
nervous system
- agitation
- coma
- hallucinations
- lack of desire to do anything
- irritable
- uncooperative
- headache
- sleeping difficulty
- confusion

Home Treatment

Contact Poison Control if you think there has been lead exposure. Before inducing vomiting, contact Poison Control to verify that is the correct treatment. Chronic exposure to lead may result in an accumulated overdose for which the ipecac is useless.

If instructed to induce vomiting, proceed as follows or as otherwise instructed:

Give the usual dose of ipecac syrup: 15 milliliters (ml) or 1 TABLEspoonful for children and 30 ml (2 TABLEspoonsful) for an adult.
Follow with 1/2 glassful or 4 ounces (oz.) of water for children or 8-12 oz. of water for adults.
Repeat one more time in 1/2 hour if vomiting has not occurred.

Before Calling Emergency

Determine the following:

the patient's age, weight, and condition
the name of the product (ingredients and strengths if known)
the time it was swallowed
the amount swallowed

Poison Control, or a local emergency number

They will instruct you if it is necessary to take the patient to the hospital. See poison control centers for telephone numbers and addresses. Take the container with you to the emergency room.

What to expect at the emergency room

Some or all of the following procedures may be performed:

the use of gastric lavage
administration of an IV or oral antidote
treatment of the symptoms

Expectations (prognosis)

Complete recovery may take months to years, and there may be permanent neurologic effects of chronic lead exposure in children. Symptoms resembling chronic intoxication may be develop over a period weeks or months.

The nervous and muscular systems can be greatly affected and compromised (no longer function as well as they should) following lead intoxication. Other body systems may be affected to various degrees, such as the kidneys and blood system. Individuals that live may suffer from some permanent brain damage.

Update Date: 4/30/2003

Updated by: Todd Severson, M.D., Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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