Nurses take the lead in heavy metal toxicity detection…
In this article from Advance for Nurses online magazine, author Sandy Keefe, RN outlines the need for early detection of lead poisoning in young children. Once more, she identifies the link between lead toxicity levels and ADHD and learning disorders. In her article she notes that there are health centers on campus at schools with Nurse Practitioners available to test any child who is identified as having learning disabilities. They do the correct action of doing a full physical workup looking for known causes of ADHD symptoms, namely lead poisoning. There is no quick referral to psychiatry for psycho-stimulants that only mask the real problem. My hat is off to those nurses who see the light. Physical illnesses can and will produce mental and emotional symptoms that can be corrected with proper testing and medical intervention.