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If you are concerned about unsafe lead work creating a hazard, contact your local building department or local health department lead program. A child living in the house has had a blood lead test result indicating lead exposure. Fortunately, only a small number of babies and children have high enough levels of lead in their blood that they need treatment. A health care provider will test your child's blood for lead. To find out how much lead is in a child's blood, a small amount of blood is taken from the child's arm or finger. However, a level of 5 mcg/dL is used to indicate a possibly unsafe level for children.
In cases of very high lead levels (45 µg/dL or higher), advanced treatment might be needed, especially in kids. Chelation therapy is generally pursued in children with blood lead levels of 45 mcg/dL or greater. Adults with high blood lead levels or symptoms of lead poisoning may also be treated.
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A healthcare provider may order a venous blood draw to confirm the blood lead level seen in a test. The table below shows when a child with lead in their blood should receive a venous blood draw to confirm their blood lead level. A blood lead test is the best way to find out if a child has lead poisoning.
If there are flakes, you should use a vacuum with a HEPA filter. Long Bone Radiograph of Knees– “lead lines” in three-year old girl with BLL of 0.6 µg/dL. Notice the increased density on the metaphysis growth plate of the knee, especially in the femur (Photo courtesy of Dr. Celsa López, Clinical Epidemiologic Research Unit, IMSS, Torreón, México). A hypochromic, microcytic anemia should be appropriately differentiated from other causes, especially iron-deficiency anemia by the use of testing for iron, iron binding capacity, and ferritin. If an adult has a BLL of 20 µg/dL, e.g., an unusual exposure is likely occurring and should be interrupted, if possible.
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This article explains how lead poisoning is treated, including the home remedies, vitamins, prescription drugs, and surgeries that may be used. It also explains how chelation therapy works and at what level of exposure the procedure is recommended. Drop the strip into the sample container, making sure it's completely submerged. Cover the container if the testing kit you're using directs you to do so. Otherwise, it will be okay to leave the water exposed.Some water testing kits include test strips for a variety of different substances. If your kit contains more than 1 type of test strip, make sure you're using the one that corresponds to lead.
They can get iron from lean meats and seafood, nuts, and fortified grain products. There is some evidence that intravenous administration of the medication may be more effective at removing lead than oral preparations. In some adults, your doctor may suggest treatment with three different drugs, which are commonly called ethylene diaminete traacetic acid, or EDTA.
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This method of testing uses only a finger prick to take a small sample of blood, making it a relatively simple and easy way to test for high lead levels. The downside, however, is that these samples can get contaminated with lead from the environment and skew test results to make it look like lead levels are higher than they really are. If your home was built before 1986, or in some cases if your water source such as a municipal distribution system was built before 1986, you could have lead contamination in your drinking water. Infants and young children are more likely to be exposed to lead than are older children. They might chew paint that flakes off walls and woodwork, and their hands can be contaminated with lead dust. Young children also absorb lead more easily, and it's more harmful for them than it is for adults and older children.
The same rule applies to sensitive orifices like your nose and mouth. For advice from our Medical co-author, like how to prevent lead poisoning, keep reading. This article was co-authored by Chris M. Matsko, MD. Dr. Chris M. Matsko is a retired physician based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Even so, this level of toxicity doesn't mean that chelation therapy is needed. Chelation therapy is typically started at higher blood levels due to limited evidence that the procedure is beneficial at lower blood levels. In recent years, research has shown that lower levels of exposure can cause significant cognitive and behavioral problems, including lower intelligence quotient .
Dr. Chris M. Matsko is a retired physician based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It’s also important to drink enough water for hydration, which may help excrete lead from your urine. Children can get calcium from milk, cheese, yogurt, dark, leafy greens and oranges.Children require between .27 mg and 8 mg of iron every day.
The EPA recommends that only certified professionals use these kits. The professional can also perform a risk assessment, which alerts you to any hazards or problem areas with the lead in your home. However, NIOSH recommends that the most current guidelines for management of lead exposed adults be implemented by the medical community at the current CDC/NIOSH reference BLL of 5 µg/dL .
As beneficial as chelation therapy is, it does carry risks. To this end, speak with a specialist, such as a medical toxicologist, to get a better understanding of whether chelation therapy is safe and appropriate for you as an individual. Surgery and other specialist procedures may be used if a prominent lead source is found in the digestive tract or elsewhere in the body.
When it cracks, it releases microscopic pieces of lead dust into the air. Sanding or scraping the walls of an old house in preparation for a remodel can also release the lead dust. Talk with your child’s doctor about a simple blood lead test. If you are pregnant or nursing, talk with your doctor about exposure to sources of lead. If you have children, lead in your home can cause serious long term health and behavior problems for them. Lead is a hazard to children under 6 years of age in particular.
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