Lead Poisoning⚡Mnemonic⚡ : 100% Chance You Won’t Forget !

Causes of Lead Poisoning:

Mnemonic: PIGLET

P: Paint (old lead-based)

I: Industrial exposure

G: Gasoline (leaded)

L: Lead pipes

E: Environmental contamination

T: Toys (old or poorly made with lead paint)

Triggers for Lead Poisoning:

Mnemonic: BIRDY

B: Building renovations

I: Ingesting contaminated soil

R: Recycled materials exposure

D: Drinking water from lead pipes

Y: Yard (soil contamination)

Risk Factors For Lead Poisoning:

Mnemonic: CITIES

C: Children under 6

I: Immigrant communities

T: Tenants in old buildings

I: Industrial workers

E: Economically disadvantaged areas

S: Smelters and battery plant workers

Warning Signs of Lead Poisoning:

Mnemonic: HAWK

H: Headaches

A: Abdominal pain

W: Weakness in muscles

K: Kidney dysfunction

Predisposing Factors of Lead Poisoning:

Mnemonic: OLD HOME

O: Old homes (pre-1978)

L: Living near industrial areas

D: DIY home renovations

H: Hobbies involving lead (e.g., stained glass making)

O: Occupational exposure

M: Migrant status

E: Eating habits (pica in children)

Signs & Symptoms of Lead Poisoning:

Mnemonic: BALLET

B: Behavioral problems

A: Anemia

L: Learning difficulties

L: Loss of developmental skills

E: Eating non-food items (pica)

T: Tummy pain

Characteristic Findings In Lead Poisoning:

Mnemonic: LEAD

L: Lead lines on gingivae and metaphyses of long bones

E: Erythrocyte protoporphyrin elevation

A: Anemia (microcytic)

D: Drops—wrist and foot drop

Clinical Features of Lead Poisoning:

Mnemonic: PAINT

P: Peripheral neuropathy

A: Abdominal colic

I: Intellectual disability

N: Nephropathy

T: Tremors

What Should Be Avoided In Lead Poisoning:

Mnemonic: FOCUS

F: Foods from cans with lead soldering

O: Occupations with lead exposure without safety measures

C: Chewing non-food items (for children)

U: Using old painted toys and furniture

S: Smoking around children (secondhand smoke increases absorption)

Drugs Used To Treat Lead Poisoning:

Mnemonic: CALCIUM

C: Calcium disodium EDTA

A: Activated charcoal (for acute ingestion)

L: Lead chelators

C: Chelation therapy agents

I: Iron supplements (for lead-induced anemia)

U: Urgent removal from exposure

M: Milk (helps reduce lead absorption)

Drugs To Avoid In Lead Poisoning:

Mnemonic: IRON

I: Iron supplements (without checking for anemia first)

R: Remedies that are not FDA-approved

O: Over-the-counter supplements without doctor’s advice

N: NSAIDs (if kidney function is impaired)

Radiological Features of Lead Poisoning:

Mnemonic: RADIO

R: Ring sideroblasts in bone marrow

A: Abdominal X-ray showing lead-containing objects

D: Dense metaphyseal lines

I: Increased bone density

O: Opaque foreign bodies in GI tract (in X-rays)

Diagnostic Tests for Lead Poisoning:

Mnemonic: TEST LEAD

T: Tailored neurodevelopmental assessments

E: Erythrocyte protoporphyrin level

S: Serum lead level

T: Thorough medical and environmental history

L: Lead lines on X-ray

E: Enzyme assays for ALAD

A: Anemia checks

D: Developmental screening

Laboratory Findings In Lead Poisoning:

Mnemonic: LAB

L: Low hemoglobin

A: ALAD enzyme inhibition

B: Basophilic stippling of red blood cells

Complications of Lead Poisoning:

Mnemonic: HEAVY

H: Hypertension

E: Encephalopathy

A: Anemia

V: Vomiting

Y: Yawning developmental delays

Differential Diagnosis of Lead Poisoning:

Mnemonic: DIFFER

D: Developmental disorders

I: Iron deficiency anemia

F: Foreign body ingestion

F: Failure to thrive

E: Environmental exposure (other toxins)

R: Renal disorders