Calcitetracemate

General information

The use of calcitetracemate in the treatment of lead poisoning has been described [ ]. Between 1993 and 2000, 45 adult patients consulted the Poison Centre of Marseilles, France after lead exposure (9 women, 36 men, average age 44, range 22–76 years). In 22 patients, a calcitetracemate provocation test was negative. Six patients with a positive test refused to be treated; the other 16 were treated with a total of 58 courses of calcitetracemate by infusion 500 mg bd for 5 days. The mean blood lead concentration in these 16 patients was 566, range 320–943 ng/ml; the mean urinary lead excretion was 3011, range 789–7229 μg/day. The mean amount of lead eliminated in the urine during chelation therapy was 30 912 μg. In 12 patients in whom lead exposure ended after the diagnosis of lead poisoning, chelation therapy reduced the blood lead concentration by 69%. In four patients in whom exposure continued during treatment, the blood lead concentration fell by only 7%. In the 16 treated patients, there was clinical improvement and no adverse effects of chelation therapy.