Gasoline Sniffing and Tetraethyl Lead Poisoning in Children

[摘要] Two cases of acute organic lead poisoning following gasoline sniffing, with one death, are reported. Signs of lead encephalopathy with elevated blood lead levels and markedly decreased levels of erythrocytic δ-amino levulnic dehydratase (ALAD) were demonstrated.Erythrocytic ALAD activity was used as a screening test for the detection of tetraethyl lead (TEL) poisoning in a group of 43 children who were presumed gasoline sniffers. Their mean ALAD activity was 190 units compared to a mean of 538 units for a control group.A survey of schoolchildren in another isolated community revealed that 59% had decreased ALAD activity, which correlated well with a history of gasoline sniffing. Only 5% of the children had blood lead levels over 40 µg/dl.The two surveys herein reported suggest that there may be large numbers of children living in isolated communities who are suffering from TEL poisoning as a result of gasoline sniffing. This constitutes a major medical, public health, and social problem heretofore virtually unrecognized.

[学科分类] 儿科学