Causes and Risks:

• 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
  • paralysis
  • muscle soreness
  • fatigue
  • weakness
  • joint pain
  • incoordination
• eyes, ears, nose, and throat
  • visual abnormalities
• gastrointestinal
  • loss of appetite
  • weight loss
  • constipation
  • vomiting
  • diarrhea
  • abdominal pain
• 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 an acute lead exposure. Before inducing emesis, 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 emesis, 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 emesis 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

Call Poison Control: 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:

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

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.