What clinical laboratory assessments should be performed on an asymptomatic child removed from a clandestine lab?
It is important to understand that it seems highly unlikely a truly asymptomatic child will become ill at a later time as a result of a toxic exposure in a clandestine laboratory. However, since there are no closely controlled studies proving this each child must be closely examined for the presence of symptoms. There are two levels of clinical laboratory assessment in an asymptomatic child removed from a clandestine laboratory. These include (1), acute exposure assessment and (2) general assessment of health and developmental status, primarily secondary to the high probability of neglect. With respect to the acute exposure issue, some jurisdictions request urine drug testing be performed on children removed from clandestine laboratories in order to assist in prosecution of the case. The topic of urine drug screens is addressed in greater detail in the next question. Current clinical laboratory test recommendations for the general assessment of health and developmental status include a
Related Questions
- Does an asymptomatic child removed from a clandestine laboratory require urgent evaluation in a hospital emergency department (ED)?
- What clinical laboratory assessments should be performed on an asymptomatic child removed from a clandestine lab?
- What clinical laboratory assessments should be performed on a symptomatic child removed from a clandestine lab?
