Sunday, November 24, 2024
Subscribe American Journal of Medicine Free Newsletter
HematologyanemiaLead Poisoning & Ayurvedics

Lead Poisoning & Ayurvedics

Ayurvedic Remedy for Diabetes as a Cause of Lead Poisoning: A Case Report

leadpoison847.gr1.lrgThe popularity of alternative or complementary medicine has dramatically increased over the years. These types of medicine are assumed by patients to be safe and free of side effects.

A 56-year-old man presented to the emergency department with diffuse abdominal pain of 3 months’ duration, decreased oral intake, and constipation. Laboratory values showed that hemoglobin had decreased to 9.7 g/dL (from a baseline of 14 g/dL 1 year previously). Levels of serum iron, transferrin, haptoglobin, vitamin B12, and folic acid were within normal limits. The anemia was normocytic, and liver enzymes were mildly elevated. Abdominal computed tomography, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, and colonoscopy results were unremarkable. Peripheral blood smear demonstrated prominent basophilic stippling within the erythrocytes, which prompted measurement of a blood lead level that was markedly elevated (101 μg/dL). Urine porphyrins also were elevated.

–To read this article in its entirety, please visit our website.

–Amishi Desai, MBBS, Harry Staszewski, MD

–This article originally appeared in the October 2012 issue of The American Journal of Medicine.

Previous article
Next article

Latest Posts

lupus

Sarcoidosis with Lupus Pernio in an Afro-Caribbean Man

A 54-year-old man of Afro-Caribbean ancestry presented with a 2-month history of nonproductive cough, 10-day history of constant subjective fevers, and a 1-day history...
Flue Vaccine

Flu Vaccination to Prevent Cardiovascular Mortality (video)

0
"Influenza can cause a significant burden on patients with coronary artery disease," write Barbetta et al in The American Journal of Medicine. For this...
varicella zoster

Varicella Zoster Virus-Induced Complete Heart Block

0
Complete heart block is usually caused by chronic myocardial ischemia and fibrosis but can also be induced by bacterial and viral infections. The varicella...
Racial justice in healthcare

Teaching Anti-Racism in the Clinical Environment

0
"Teaching Anti-Racism in the Clinical Environment: The Five-Minute Moment for Racial Justice in Healthcare" was originally published in the April 2023 issue of The...
Invisible hand of the market

The ‘Invisible Hand’ Doesn’t Work for Prescription Drugs

0
Pharmaceutical innovation has been responsible for many “miracles of modern medicine.” Reliance on the “invisible hand” of Adam Smith to allocate resources in the...
Joseph S. Alpert, MD

New Coronary Heart Disease Risk Factors

0
"New Coronary Heart Disease Risk Factors" by AJM Editor-in Chief Joseph S. Alpert, MD was originally published in the April 2023 issue of The...
Cardiovascular risk from noncardiac activities

Cardiac Risk Related to Noncardiac & Nonsurgical Activities

0
"Assessment of Cardiovascular Risk for Noncardiac and Nonsurgical Activities" was originally published in the April 2023 issue of The American Journal of Medicine. Cardiovascular risk...