What is the main effect of lead poisoning? Lead exposure can have serious consequences for the health of children. At high levels of exposure, lead attacks the brain and central nervous system to cause coma,
What is the main effect of lead poisoning?
Lead exposure can have serious consequences for the health of children. At high levels of exposure, lead attacks the brain and central nervous system to cause coma, convulsions and even death. Children who survive severe lead poisoning may be left with mental retardation and behavioural disorders.
What is the antidote for lead?
Dimercaprol (BAL in Oil) Dimercaprol (British antilewisite [BAL], or 2,3-dimercapto-1-propanol) was the first chelator used in encephalopathic individuals and is the drug of choice for treatment of lead toxicity.
What are the side effects of lead poisoning?
Ring sideroblasts have not been reported. The abdominal pain, constipation, and peripheral neuropathy that occur in lead poisoning are also seen in acute attacks of hepatic porphyria.
What causes the accumulation of porphyrins in lead poisoning?
This accumulation of porphyrins and precursors is caused by the inhibition by lead of the heme biosynthetic enzymes: 5-aminolevulinate (ALA) dehydratase, coproporphyrinogen oxidase, and ferrochelatase. An increase in the activity of the rate-controlling enzyme ALA synthase (ALAS) results.
Why are children more susceptible to lead poisoning?
Epidemiology. In adults of all ages, men have higher blood lead levels than women do. Children are more sensitive to elevated blood lead levels than adults are. Children may also have a higher intake of lead than adults; they breathe faster and may be more likely to have contact with and ingest soil.
What kind of food can cause lead poisoning?
Ingestion of metallic lead, such as small lead fishing lures, increases blood lead levels and can be fatal. Ingestion of lead-contaminated food is also a threat. Ceramic glaze often contains lead, and dishes that have been improperly fired can leach the metal into food, potentially causing severe poisoning.