Biomaterial Database

Gasoline sniffing and tetraethyl lead poisoning in children. 1977

R L Boeckx, and B Postl, and F J Coodin

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 delta-amino levulinic 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 microgram/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.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007198	Indians, North American	Members of indigenous North American populations with pre-colonial contact origins.	Amerinds, North American,Indigenous North Americans,American Indian, North,American, Indigenous North,Amerind, North American,Indian, North American,Indigenous North American,North American Amerind,North American Amerinds,North American Indian,North American Indians,North American, Indigenous
D007854	Lead	A soft, grayish metal with poisonous salts; atomic number 82, atomic weight 207.2, symbol Pb.
D007855	Lead Poisoning	Poisoning that results from chronic or acute ingestion, injection, inhalation, or skin absorption of LEAD or lead compounds.	Poisoning, Lead,Lead Poisonings,Poisonings, Lead
D008297	Male		Males
D008403	Mass Screening	Organized periodic procedures performed on large groups of people for the purpose of detecting disease.	Screening,Mass Screenings,Screening, Mass,Screenings,Screenings, Mass
D009461	Neurologic Manifestations	Clinical signs and symptoms caused by nervous system injury or dysfunction.	Neurologic Deficits,Neurologic Signs and Symptoms,Focal Neurologic Deficits,Manifestations, Neurologic,Manifestations, Neurological,Neurologic Dysfunction,Neurologic Findings,Neurologic Manifestation,Neurologic Signs,Neurologic Symptoms,Neurological Manifestations,Deficit, Focal Neurologic,Deficit, Neurologic,Deficits, Focal Neurologic,Deficits, Neurologic,Dysfunction, Neurologic,Dysfunctions, Neurologic,Finding, Neurologic,Findings, Neurologic,Focal Neurologic Deficit,Manifestation, Neurologic,Manifestation, Neurological,Neurologic Deficit,Neurologic Deficit, Focal,Neurologic Deficits, Focal,Neurologic Dysfunctions,Neurologic Finding,Neurologic Sign,Neurologic Symptom,Neurological Manifestation,Sign, Neurologic,Signs, Neurologic,Symptom, Neurologic,Symptoms, Neurologic
D010578	Petroleum	Naturally occurring complex liquid hydrocarbons which, after distillation, yield combustible fuels, petrochemicals, and lubricants.	Crude Oil,Crude Oils,Oil, Crude,Oils, Crude,Petroleums
D002170	Canada	The largest country in North America, comprising 10 provinces and three territories. Its capital is Ottawa.
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D002675	Child, Preschool	A child between the ages of 2 and 5.	Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children