Edathamil Calcium-Disodium (Versenate) in Treatment of Lead Poisoning in Children

Lead Poisoning in Children

“…Levels of lead in the blood of normal children have been determined by a number of workers (for a review see Byers, 1959), and the upper limit of normal has usually been fixed at 50 to 60 ,ug./ 100 ml. blood, e.g.…”

“…-by Bradley, Powell, Niermann, McGrady and Kaplan (1956). Byers (1959) has drawn attention to the fact that from a study of the published material it should be concluded that the actual level at which poisoning occurs is variable. Of the patients discussed by Bradley et al (1956), eight children had blood lead levels between 50 and 80 ,ug./100 ml., and were asymptomatic.…”

Lead poisoning in childhood

“…The net effect is that lead is transferred from the gut to the erythrocyte, transpor-ted to the liver and kidneys where it is temporarily 'stored' and finally transported to bone where it is laid down with other minerals. Although bone lead is thought to be 'metabolically inactive' it may be released to the soft tissues again under conditions of bone resorption (Byers & Maloof, 1954). Since the blood lead concentration is the resultant of several equilibria, a high value may not indicate current ingestion and conversely a low value does not exclude a high whole-body lead burden.…”

“…When heated, lead will vaporize and the fumes are extremely toxic. Byers (1959) describes a child who slept in a family printing shop and was poisoned by the fumes from a crucible of molten type-metal. More often, storage batteries burned as scrap or as fuel are responsible and deaths have even occurred in children living at a site remote from the burning (Travers, Rendel-Short & Harvey, 1956).…”

“…Children who have been poisoned should therefore have blood lead and urine coproporphyrin levels monitored carefully, especially during episodes of intercurrent infection. Prognosis Children with encephalopathy have a poor prognosis, with or without treatment and mortality rates of 14% (Chisolm & Harrison, 1957) and 23-5 % (Byers, 1959) have been recorded. Permanent cerebral damage is a common sequel to poisoning and 30 % of survivors have been so affected (Levinson & Zeldes, 1939) in spite of treatment with chelator drugs (Bradley & Baumgartner, 1958).…”