Should Children With Constipation Undergo Blood Lead Level Screening?

Clinical Pediatrics
Vikram Kalathur RaghuArvind I Srinath

Abstract

This study aimed to compare the prevalence of elevated blood lead level in children with constipation to the population prevalence. We reviewed the charts of 441 children who were screened with a blood lead level on presenting to the gastroenterology clinic at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh for evaluation of constipation. The prevalence of blood lead level greater than 5 µg/dL was 1.36% (6/441; 95% confidence interval = 1.23% to 1.49%), which is significantly lower than the 4.01% prevalence in the population reported by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. No patients had a blood lead level greater than 10 µg/dL. Age under 5 years old showed an increased odds of lead level greater than 5 µg/dL (odds ratio = 7.5; 95% confidence interval = 1.2 to 47.3, P < .05). We concluded that children seen in the gastroenterology clinic for constipation are unlikely to have an elevated blood lead level on routine screening.

References

Apr 29, 2004·Neurotoxicology and Teratology·Lisa M ChiodoJoseph L Jacobson
Mar 11, 2009·Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition·Ellen R WaldArnold Wald
Oct 7, 2011·Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition·William E Bennett, Robert O Heuckeroth
Nov 15, 2013·Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology = Journal Canadien De Gastroenterologie·Ashish Chogle, Miguel Saps
Dec 19, 2013·Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition·M M TabbersM A Benninga

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Citations

Jan 15, 2021·Anales de pediatría : publicación oficial de la Asociación Española de Pediatría (A.E.P.)·Nergiz SevincErkan Dogan

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