Retained pellets in body cause lead poisoning: DAK

Srinagar: With hundreds of people in Kashmir having retained pellets, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) today revealed that embedded pellets in their bodies have the potential to cause severe lead poisoning.

Raising alarm President DAK Dr Nisar ul Hassan in a statement said that retained pellets are toxic to human body and these embedded pellets could poison and kill people.

“Pellets are composed of lead putting people who have them lodged in at serious risk of lead poisoning. Lead toxicity secondary to retained pellets has been well documented in several studies. Various cases of lead toxicity have been reported regarding these patients,” he said.

Adding, in a case report, a child with retained intracranial pellets developed lead toxicity one year after the injury.

He cited another paper in which lead poisoning was observed nine years after a patient had sustained pellet injury in left upper extremity.

“The symptoms of lead poisoning might appear within few days after someone gets shot, but patients can also turn up decades later. The chance of getting lead poisoning increases with number of pellets and if pellets end up near large joints,” he said.

The Dak said the pregnant women are at a greater risk of premature birth, low birth weight and even abortion. “Lead is particularly toxic to children causing potentially permanent learning and behavior disorders including violence. Pellets are left in the body as they are believed to be harmless. At times, it is difficult to extract pellets in which case they obviously cannot be removed,” the DAK said.

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