Toxicology: lead encephalopathy treatment: practice question

A Forensic Medicine question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

Try it

Forensic Medicine · Toxicology: lead encephalopathy treatment

Sample item

A 4-year-old child living near a battery recycling unit has seizures, vomiting and a blood lead level of 120 micrograms per dL. What is the appropriate chelation therapy?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. Dimercaprol followed by calcium disodium edetate

Lead encephalopathy is a medical emergency treated with chelation, starting with dimercaprol and followed a few hours later by calcium disodium edetate, which avoids a rise in brain lead from edetate alone. Succimer is used for milder cases. Deferoxamine, Prussian blue and hydroxocobalamin are antidotes for other poisons.

Option by option

  • A. Dimercaprol followed by calcium disodium edetate (correct)

    Correct. This combination is the standard regimen for lead encephalopathy.

  • B. Hydroxocobalamin

    Hydroxocobalamin is the antidote for cyanide.

  • C. Deferoxamine

    Deferoxamine chelates iron and not lead.

  • D. Prussian blue

    Prussian blue is the antidote for thallium and caesium.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More Forensic Medicine questions

Questions about this Forensic Medicine question

What is the answer to this Forensic Medicine question?

The best answer is A, Dimercaprol followed by calcium disodium edetate. Lead encephalopathy is a medical emergency treated with chelation, starting with dimercaprol and followed a few hours later by calcium disodium edetate, which avoids a rise in brain lead from edetate alone.

Why is "Hydroxocobalamin" not the answer?

Hydroxocobalamin is the antidote for cyanide.

Why is "Deferoxamine" not the answer?

Deferoxamine chelates iron and not lead.

Why is "Prussian blue" not the answer?

Prussian blue is the antidote for thallium and caesium.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Toxicology: lead encephalopathy treatment in Forensic Medicine. Succimer is used for milder cases. Deferoxamine, Prussian blue and hydroxocobalamin are antidotes for other poisons.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Toxicology: lead encephalopathy treatment?

Learn postmortem changes with their timelines, and toxicology as poison, sign, test and antidote. Then use the flashcards and the other Forensic Medicine questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.