A Case of Lead Poisoning due to a Mixture of Talisman Ash.
- Author:
Han Hui YE
1
;
Jae Uk JEONG
;
Nak Joon BAEK
;
Chang Yul CHOI
;
Man Joong JEON
;
Joon SAKONG
Author Information
1. Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Yeungnam University Hospital, 317-1, Daemyungdong, Namgu, Daegu 705-717, Republic of Korea. jjsakong@gmail.com
- Publication Type:Case Report
- Keywords:
Lead poisoning;
Talisman;
Cinnabar;
Acute hepatitis
- MeSH:
Abdominal Pain;
Adolescent;
Hepatitis;
Human Body;
Humans;
Korea;
Lead Poisoning*;
Liver Function Tests;
Male;
Medicine, East Asian Traditional
- From:Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
2013;25(1):37-
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: Lead is a metal that has no biological function useful for the human body. In Korea, non-occupational exposure to lead has mostly occurred through taking oriental medicine. However, in this paper we report a case of lead poisoning caused by ingesting talisman material. CASE PRESENTATION: A 16-year-old male patient complained of severe abdominal pain after taking cinnabar, a talisman material. He was diagnosed with lead poisoning accompanied by acute hepatitis. We confirmed that the cinnabar the patient took contained about 10% elemental lead. After symptom management, the patients' symptoms, liver function test results, and blood lead concentration level improved. CONCLUSION: Lead poisoning can be accompanied by hepatitis, although rarely. As we have confirmed that cinnabar as a talisman material is harmful to the human body, measures to prevent its misuse are needed.
