Screening tools detection of children at risk for lead exposure

ABSTRACT

Elevated blood lead levels are known to cause a wide range of health problems in infants and children. Recent studies suggest that blood lead levels previously considered safe may have deleterious effects on several neurobehavioural parameters. American center for disease control [CDC] [1991] considered that lead level at 10 micro g/dl or above is toxic. The CDC put guidline-quationair to outline risk groups, so that the selective screening for these groups only will be cost-effective than mass screening. To test CDC quationair sensitivity and its possible application in our community, 2000 children from schools and nurseries from Abu Hammad Sharkia governorate, aged 2-14 years old, 400 of them fulfilled the criteria of CDC quationair. [living in or visiting in a job with lead exposure, living near active lead smelter, traffics or battery recycling, the child or one of his family treated before from lead poisoning]. All children were subjected to full history, through clinical examination for signs of lead poisoning and blood lead determinations by atomic absorption spectrophotometry with Delves sampling techniques. The mean blood lead level for all children was 31.16 micro g/dl. 48.5% of children had blood lead level between 25-40 micro g/dI. There was highly significant increase of the mean blood level in the high risk groups, outlined by CDC control. The result showed the sensitivity of CDC quationair and its possible applications in our community to out-line the risk groups to be screened