Clinical Case Study: Unusual Cause of Abdominal Pain and Anemia

Exposure to lead in adults is typically via occupational or environmental exposures. The incidence of lead poisoning have declined worldwide due to improved industrial safety measures and the limited use of lead in paint, pipes, and canned goods. Though an increasing number of lead intoxications have been caused by the use of contaminated illicit drugs, including opium, marijuana and amphetamine, this may be due to impurities introduced during manufacturing or from deliberate addition to increase the weight for a higher selling price. A Clinical Case Study in the December 2017 issue of Clinical Chemistry discusses a series of adult patients who presented with similar symptoms and were discovered to have extremely elevated blood lead concentrations.