UNDIVIDED CLEVELAND

 Intense, acute, high-dose exposure to lead can cause symptomatic poisoning in children. It is characterized by colic, constipation, fatigue, anaemia and neurological features that can vary from poor concentration to stupor. In the most severe cases, a potentially fatal acute encephalopathy with ataxia, coma and convulsions can occur. In many instances, children who survive acute lead poisoning go on to have permanent and clinically apparent deficits in their neurodevelopmental function (Byers & Lord, 1943). Overt clinical signs and symptoms of lead poisoning are still common today in many low-income countries and in children living around active lead-polluted sites or legacy hot spots. In contrast, these signs and symptoms are less common in countries and places where screening for lead and environmental monitoring are routinely performed. However, health professionals and public health agencies everywhere should be aware of the signs and symptoms of acute lead poisoning, to ensure prompt diagnosis of individual cases and recognition of clusters of cases that may be related to a new or previously unrecognized lead source in an exposed community.

(Source: https://www.who.int/ceh/publications/leadguidance.pdf pg.23)