Lead Exposure as Cause of a Clinical Scenario of Cardiac Arrhythmias
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20344/amp.18791Keywords:
Arrhythmias, Cardiac/chemically induced, Lead Poisoning, Occupational ExposureAbstract
The recycling of used batteries has raised public health concerns as this activity is associated with occupational and environmental exposure to lead. We describe the case of a 26-year-old woman who experienced palpitations associated with headaches, fatigue and insomnia. Blood tests showed anemia (Hb 11.9 g/dL) and a lead concentration of 59 μg/dL. This was reported about four months after starting work in a battery recycling company. She left the company and, reported a gradual decrease in symptoms about one month later. The analytical study revealed a normalization of hemoglobin levels (12.2 g/dL) and a decrease in blood lead levels to 23.4 μg/dL. The health effects of lead exposure are nonspecific, and its diagnosis requires a high degree of suspicion. In this context, the collaboration between the Attending Physician and the Health and Safety Departments of companies is important.
Downloads
References
Kathuria P. Lead toxicity. 2020. [consultado 2022 mai 30]. Disponível em: https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1174752-overview.
Papanikolaou NC, Hatzidaki EG, Belivanis S, Tzanakakis GN, Tsatsakis AM. Lead toxicity update. A brief review. Med Sci Monit. 2005;11:RA329.
Goldman R, Hu H. Lead exposure, toxicity, and poisoning in adults. 2021. [consultado 2022 mai 30]. Disponível em: https://www.uptodate.com/contents/lead-exposure-and-poisoning-in-adults.
Portugal. Decreto-Lei n.º 24/2012. Diário da República, I Série, n.º 26/2012 (2012/02/06). p. 580–9.
World Health Organization. Recycling used lead-acid batteries: health considerations. 2017. [consultado 2022 maio 30]. Disponível em: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/recycling-used-lead-acid-batteries-health-considerations.
Fuller R. Lead exposures from car batteries—a global problem. Environ Health Perspect. 2009;117:A535.
Basit S, Karim N, Munshi AB. Occupational lead toxicity in battery workers. Pak J Med Sci. 2015;31:775-80.
Dounias G, Rachiotis G, Hadjichristodoulou C. Acute lead intoxication in a female battery worker: diagnosis and management. J Occup Med Toxicol.2010.5:19.
Silva M, D’Incao R, Lul R, Renon V, Mattos A. Manifestações gastrintestinais e diagnóstico de intoxicação por chumbo: relato de dois casos. Revista da AMRIGS. 2013;57:61-3.
Portugal. Lei n.º 98/2009. Diário da República n.º 172/2009, I Série (2009/09/04). p. 5894-920.
Portugal. Decreto Regulamentar n.º 76/2007. Diário da República n.º 136/2007, I Série (2007/07/17). p.4499–543.
Direção-Geral da Saúde. Informação Técnica nº 09/2014 (05/02/2015). Diagnóstico, conhecimento, prevenção e reparação de doença profissional. Lisboa: DGS; 2015.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2022 Acta Médica Portuguesa
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
All the articles published in the AMP are open access and comply with the requirements of funding agencies or academic institutions. The AMP is governed by the terms of the Creative Commons ‘Attribution – Non-Commercial Use - (CC-BY-NC)’ license, regarding the use by third parties.
It is the author’s responsibility to obtain approval for the reproduction of figures, tables, etc. from other publications.
Upon acceptance of an article for publication, the authors will be asked to complete the ICMJE “Copyright Liability and Copyright Sharing Statement “(http://www.actamedicaportuguesa.com/info/AMP-NormasPublicacao.pdf) and the “Declaration of Potential Conflicts of Interest” (http:// www.icmje.org/conflicts-of-interest). An e-mail will be sent to the corresponding author to acknowledge receipt of the manuscript.
After publication, the authors are authorised to make their articles available in repositories of their institutions of origin, as long as they always mention where they were published and according to the Creative Commons license.
