Short-term lead poisoning

The long-term effects of carbon monoxide poisoning for victims who recover are less clear. Those who recover from exposure to high levels, especially if they have been unconscious, can suffer effects on the memory and the brain and heart which may last some time or even be permanent. Some victims may suffer heart attacks some time after apparent recovery or succumb to pneumonia, especially the elderly. Similarly, despite an apparent full recovery, some weeks after the poisoning the victim may suffer from effects on the brain (for example, encephalopathy) which can cause symptoms similar to Parkinson s disease or personality changes (irritability, for example) which can persist for some time. Loss of short-term memory is common. Muscle damage sometimes occurs, which can lead to renal failure. This is because the breakdown products of the muscle are excreted into the urine and overload the kidneys. These effects are most likely in those who are victims of severe poisoning. 

Discuss how he or she would build a case. The attorney should have a good idea about how to find out about the child s exposure to lead as well as how that exposure will impact the child s life. He or she must understand the types of damage that can result from lead poisoning, long term as well as short term. You only recover once for past, present, and future damage. At a minimum, be sure the attorney plans to ... 

B. Effects of overexposure to /eacf—(1) Short term (acute) overexposure. Lead is a potent, systemic poison that serves no known useful function once absorbed by your body. Taken in large enough doses, lead can kill you in a matter of days. A condition affecting the brain called acute encephalopathy may arise which develops quickly... 

Heydari, A., Norouzzadeh, A., Khoshbaten, A., Asgari, A., Ghasemi, A., Najaf, S., et aL, 2006. Effects of short-term and subchronic lead poisoning on nitric oxide metabolites and vascular responsiveness in the rat. Toxicol. Lett. 166, 88—94. 

Short-term exposure to ethylene oxide vapor at high concentrations can cause nausea, shortness of breath, central nervous system depression, and irritation of mucous membranes in humans. The compound is also described as a protoplasmic poison. Dilute solutions of ethylene oxide can cause skin blistering, edema, irritation, and necrosis and eye irritation and necrosis. Skin contact with liquid ethylene oxide will usually cause bums, and even short-term skin exposure can lead to skin blisters. Some acute cases of poisoning have been reported. Usually, nausea and vomiting are delayed and, after they occur, there can be profound weakness of the extremities, convulsive seizures, and secondary lung infection. A summary of the toxicological effects of ethylene oxide and a referenced summary of acute effects such as LDjo and LC50 data are available (1), as is current information in manufacturers material safety data sheets (2). 

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