title: [Lead poisoning due to drug addiction: a new source of poisoning with clinical interest and important epidemiological consequences].
abstract: Lead poisoning has accompanied the human being throughout history. Owing to the increasing levels of safety at work, the incidence of occupational poisoning has decreased and new forms of non-occupational poisoning have emerged. We present 3 cases of drug addicts, with lead poisoning, as a result of using adulterated drugs. One of them was an intravenous drug addict who had abdominal pain and anemia. The other 2 inhaled heroin, one being slightly anemic and the other without symptoms and with normal hemoglobin levels. The drug adulterated with lead had not been previously recognized as a source of lead poisoning, being likely to cause serious epidemiological effects.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Algora
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martín-Castillo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zabala
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Fernández
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004340:Drug Contamination; D005260:Female; D003932:Heroin; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D003932:Heroin
vernacular_title: Saturnismo por drogadicción: nueva fuente de intoxicación con interés clínico e importantes consecuencias epidemiológicas.