Oral chelation therapy
Oral chelation therapy with succimer is required for patients who do not have lead encephalopathy but have:
- symptoms and a whole blood lead concentration above 70 micrograms/dL (3.4 micromol/L) in adults
- a whole blood lead concentration above 45 micrograms/dL (2.2 micromol/L) in children and pregnant people.
If oral chelation therapy is required, for adults and children, use:
succimer 10 mg/kg orally, 8-hourly for 5 days, followed by 10 mg/kg 12-hourly for 14 days1. For advice on further dosing, see Monitoring and follow up after chelation therapy. lead poisoning
Adverse effects of succimer include abdominal pain, transient rash, raised liver aminotransferase enzymes and neutropenia.
Parenteral chelation therapy can be used if oral chelation therapy with succimer is not immediately available or if the patient has severe gastrointestinal adverse effects to succimer.