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[Determination of serum lead levels following shotgun injury]
A Platz1, H P Simmen, M Heinzelmann
1Departement Chirurgie, Universitätsspital Zürich.
Swiss Surgery = Schweizer Chirurgie = Chirurgie Suisse = Chirurgia Svizzera
|January 1, 1995
Abstract:
Lead concentration of pellets is over 95%. Four patients who had sustained shotgun injury with retained shotgun bullets in the body are described. In 3 of 4 patients the blood level of lead was increased, as well as the concentration of Delta-ALA in the urine. In all four patients symptoms due to lead intoxication were absent. Usually the surgical goal is limited to a proper debridement of large wounds in the soft tissue. Therefore it is mandatory to assess the lead level in the blood and the concentration of Delta-ALA in the urine. Thus asymptomatic lead intoxication can be recognized and treated.