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LEAD TOXICITY
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| Source |
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Lead can be found in the environment in a variety of
sources, including paint chips, aerosolized paint secondary to construction or
remodeling, batteries, drapery weights, fishing sinkers, buckshot, plumbing
solder, caulking, pottery, lubricants, contaminated soil, and pesticides such as
lead arsenate.
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| Symptoms |
- Anorexia
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Colic, abdominal pain
- Behavioral changes/ neurologic changes
- Blindness
- Seizures
- Coma
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| Toxicity |
| There is species variation with respect to susceptibility
to lead. Lead interferes with normal functioning of the nervous system, the
gastrointestinal tract, and the production of red blood cells. It can also
permanently damage the kidneys. |
| Diagnosis |
| Although lead poisoning is definitively diagnosed by
measuring the lead level in the blood, other blood and urine tests, combined
with x-ray identification of metallic foreign material in the intestines and
changes in the bones, can help confirm the diagnosis of lead poisoning. |
| Treatment |
| Treatment is based on removing the lead from the animal’s
body. This can require surgical removal of any metallic foreign material seen on
x-rays, and may include binding the lead in the body with special drugs (known
as chelators). Fluid therapy can help eliminate the lead more quickly from the
body. Finally, eliminating environmental exposure is essential to prevent
repeat contamination |
| Prognosis |
| The prognosis in cases of lead poisoning is good, unless
there is severe damage to the kidneys or nervous system. |
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