Efforts to Identify At-Risk Children for Blood Lead Screening in Pediatric Clinics – Clark County, Nevada

Authors

Mackenzie Suzanne Burns, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow
Lopa H. Shah, ABC Pediatrics
Erika R. Marquez, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow
Scott L. Denton, University of Nevada, RenoFollow
Beverly A. Neyland, University of Nevada, RenoFollow
Diana Vereschzagin, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
David A. Gremse, University of South Alabama
Shawn Gerstenberger, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2012

Publication Title

Clinical Pediatrics

Volume

51

Issue

11

First page number:

1048

Last page number:

1055

Abstract

Background.

Childhood lead poisoning continues to be a public health problem; however, lead screening rates remain low in many areas. Our objective is to increase screening in pediatric clinics, while testing a questionnaire for its predictability of elevated blood lead levels (BLLs).

Methods.

Participants were approached at pediatric clinics in Las Vegas, Nevada. A brief questionnaire assessed the child’s potential exposure to lead and a blood sample was collected from each child.

Results.

Of 564 children tested, 35 had detectable BLLs. Two questions from the questionnaire demonstrated significant differences in proportions (Fisher’s exact test: P < .05) of affirmative/negative responses, for the 35 participants with detectable BLLs.

Conclusion.

The questionnaire failed to identify reliable associations between detectable BLLs and affirmative responses, limiting its use as an in-office tool. More research is recommended to identify and alleviate barriers to childhood lead screening in the clinical setting and to develop more applicable risk assessment tools.

Keywords

Blood – Analysis; Blood lead level; Childhood lead poisoning; Lead poisoning – Risk factors; Lead poisoning in children; Medical screening; Nevada – Clark County; Nevada – Las Vegas; Pediatric clinics; Risk factors; Screening

Disciplines

Community-Based Research | Environmental Public Health | Medicine and Health | Pediatrics | Public Health

Language

English

Permissions

Use Find in Your Library, contact the author, or interlibrary loan to garner a copy of the item. Publisher policy does not allow archiving the final published version. If a post-print (author's peer-reviewed manuscript) is allowed and available, or publisher policy changes, the item will be deposited.

Repository Citation

Burns, M. S., Shah, L. H., Marquez, E. R., Denton, S. L., Neyland, B. A., Vereschzagin, D., Gremse, D. A., Gerstenberger, S. (2012). Efforts to Identify At-Risk Children for Blood Lead Screening in Pediatric Clinics – Clark County, Nevada. Clinical Pediatrics, 51(11), 1048-1055.