ANALYSIS OF LEAD INTOXICATIONS ADMITTED TO AN OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES HOSPITAL IN THE YEARS 2012-2018: A SILENT PANDEMIC

Objective: Although preventable, occupational lead intoxication is still being observed in developed and developing countries and still threatens public health. In this study, patients hospitalized due to high blood lead level (BLL) are analysed with the aim of identifying the their sociodemographic characteristics, health problems they had due to lead exposure, the sectors in which they work, and occupational health and safety practices. Material and Method: In this study, 168 patients admitted to Istanbul Occupational Diseases Hospital and hospitalized with the diagnosis of lead intoxication between 2012 and 2018 were examined. Sociodemographic characteristics of the patients, information about the work places, usage of personal protective equipment, medical history, symptoms observed, BLL, other laboratory results, treatment results and hospitalization frequency were collected retrospectively from patient files and health board records through the form created by the researchers. Results: The mean age of the patients was 39.66 (+/- 8.36) years, and the median duration of work was 108 months (min: 3-max: 396). Median BLL at admission was 49 mu g/dl (min: 23.6-max: 134), median BLL at the time of hospitalization was 47 mu g/dl (min: 18-max: 126) and mean BLL value after treatment was 31.07 mu g/dl (+/- 8.58). It was observed that 130 (77.4%) cases received chelation therapy. It was determined that 14.3% of the cases were diagnosed with lead intoxication more than once. Conclusion: Workplaces with lead exposure should regularly share data on field inspection, BBL and work environment measurement results, and follow-up of the long-term effects of lead exposure more carefully. To reduce lead exposure, reliable data flow between stakeholders should be ensured, and deficiencies in health surveillance of employees exposed to lead should be eliminated.