Screening for Lead during the Domestic Medical Examination for Newly Arrived Refugees

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (U.S.). Division of Global Migration Health.
• Description:
  Key Points
  
  • Lead exposures among newly arrived refugees may include environmental and occupational exposures, as well as household and personal items.
  
  • Table 1 describes the lead screening recommendations for newly arrived refugee infants, children, adolescents, and pregnant and lactating women and girls.
  
  • In October 2021, CDC lowered the blood lead reference value (BLRV) to 3.5 micrograms per deciliter (¬µg/dL) to identify children with higher levels of lead in their blood compared to most children. Capillary screening results at or above 3.5 Œºg/dL should be confirmed with blood drawn by venipuncture. The previous BLRV was 5 ¬µg/dL.
  
  • This level is based on the on the 97.5th percentile of the blood lead distribution of US children aged 1-5 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Children with blood lead levels at or above the BLRV are among the 2.5% of US children with the highest blood lead levels.
  
  
• Content Notes:
  Key Points -- Background -- Clinical Presentation -- Recommendations for Post-arrival Lead Screening -- Additional Resources -- References.
• Subjects:
  Emigrants And Immigrants Lead/blood Lead Poisoning Mass Screening Refugees
• Document Type:
  Webpage
• Collection(s):
  Stephen B. Thacker CDC Library
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:958279a2391567c347c63df53b009e3ea04bd2ee2225830e9e17b129bd3d6e4f
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/135286/cdc_135286_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.32 MB ]