ARTICLE INFO

Article Type

Descriptive & Survey Study

Authors

Amiri   H. (1)
Neghabi   Z. (1)
Aghabiklooei   A. (*2)






(*2) Legal Medicine Departmemt, Medicine Faculty, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
(1) Emergency Medicine Department, Medicine Faculty, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Correspondence

Address: Firoozgar Hospital, Toxicology Ward, Valadi Street, Valiasr Square, Tehran, Iran. Postal Code: 1593748711
Phone: +98 (21) 82141321
Fax: +98 (21) 82141321
aghabikloo.a@iums.ac.ir

Article History

Received:   July  19, 2018
Accepted:   April 23, 2019
ePublished:   June 20, 2019

ABSTRACT

Aims Lead is one of the heavy metals that can be a factor of acute or chronic toxicity. Smugglers may add lead to drugs during the production process in order to increase its weight and earning more benefits. In this regard, the aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between blood lead levels in consumers of edible opium with abdominal pain.
Instrument & Methods This cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out on 122 consumers of edible opium with abdominal pain who referred to the emergency department of the Rasoul Akram, Firoozgar, Haft-e-Tir and Baharlu hospitals in 2016. The subjects were entered in the study by the counting-all method. Demographic information, health condition, and lifestyle of the patients were collected using a questionnaire as well as the blood lead level and blood factors of the subjects were measured. Data were analyzed through SPSS 22 software using independent t-test and Chi-squared test.
Findings The mean of blood lead levels in patients with abdominal pain was 87.49±32.27μg/dL. The lead level showed the mild, moderate and acute poisoning respectively in the 29.5%, 39.3% and 27.9% of the patients.
Conclusion The blood lead level in the consumers of edible opium with abdominal pain is above 25μg/dL which showed the toxicity. Therefore, there is a strong potential for lead poisoning in consumers of edible opium.

Keywords: Opium, Abdominal Pain, Poisoning ,

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