A presumptive case of lead poisoning in a brass-worker's child.

ABSTRACT

A one-year-old male child was admitted with the complaints of vomiting and irritability for 4 days, haematemesis and melaena for one day and had generalised tonic convulsions on the day of admission. Examination revealed exaggerated reflexes with group II coma. Blood film showed basophilic shippling. Straight x-ray showed lead lines in the metaphyses of ribs, humerii, scapulae, iliac crests and upper ends of femurs. The boy's father was an employee of brass industry where brass alloys used cotained lead in substantial amount. A presumptive case of lead poisoning (as diagnosed) was treated symptomatically. Chelating agent was called for but the patient left. In the present case the hands of the child were contaminated with lead dust brought home by his father either in person or in clothings. The child used his hands constantly in his mouth to get poisoned by lead.