Opium addiction and lead poisoning

Abstract

Background: Exposure to lead is usually considered only when a patient's history points to well-known traditional sources of lead. Although the incidence of lead poisoning has declined, the new forms of this type of poisoning still exist. Recently, unusual causes of chronic lead poisoning such as substance abuses have been described. The aim of this article is to present patients with lead poisoning and positive history of opium addiction. Patients and Method: In this study, we evaluated 25 patients seen from 2002 to 2007 with lead poisoning in the Loghman Hakim Hospital Poison Center, Tehran, Iran. Data such as age, sex, causes of intoxication, route of poisoning, clinical manifestations on admission, duration of hospitalization, blood lead level and history of addiction were extracted from the patients' files. Results: Seven of the patients had a history of opium addiction as the only probable source of lead poisoning, and none of them had occupations known to involve exposure to lead. The average age of these patients was 38.7 ± 9.3 years. The average blood lead level in these patients was 109 ± 37.6 μg/dL. Conclusion: Lead poisoning should be considered in patients with a history of opium abuse who present with non-specific clinical manifestations. © 2010 Informa UK, Ltd.