Lead Poisoning — The Silent Epidemic

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Abstract
Lead poisoning is a serious, sometimes fatal, illness of known cause, readily diagnosed and treated and completely preventable in most cases. The disease presents clinically with a continuum of rather nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms (anorexia, constipation, nausea, vomiting or colic) or Central-nervous-system symptoms (irritability, confusion, lethargy, coma or convulsions). It is often misdiagnosed initially unless the physician has a high index of suspicion. Routine laboratory studies, which may reveal anemia, basophilic stippling and "lead lines" in long bones, should serve as clues but are not invariably present, particularly in the more acute cases. Lead presumably exerts its deleterious effects by inhibiting . . .

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