Blood Lead Level in Opiate Addicts Hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit of a Trauma Referral Center in Kerman, Iran

Opium is the most commonly-used narcotic in Iran and some Asian countries. There are many reports of lead poisoning in opium users. Lead poisoning encompasses a wide range of symptoms the incidence and severity of which depend on the concentration and duration of contact with lead. The present study compares blood levels of lead in two groups of non-addicted patients and opiate addicts admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of a trauma referral hospital in Kerman, Iran