Screening for Elevated Blood Lead Levels in Children and Pregnant Women: Recommendation Statement

摘要

This statement summarizes the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations on screening for elevated blood lead levels in children and pregnant women and the supporting scientific evidence, and it updates the 1996 recommendations contained in the Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, 2nd ed. Explanations of the ratings and of the strength of overall evidence are given in Table 1 and Table 2, respectively. The complete information on which this statement is based, including evidence tables and references, is included in the evidence update on this topic, available on the USPSTF Web site at http://www.preventiveservices.ahrq. gov. The recommendation is also posted on the Web site of the National Guideline Clearinghouse at http://www.guideline.gov. The USPSTF is redesigning its recommendation statement in response to feedback from primary care physicians. TheUSPSTF plans to release in 2007 a new, updated recommendation statement that is easier to read and incorporates advances in USPSTF methods. The recommendation statement below is an interim version that combines existing language and elements with a new format. Although the definitions of grades remain the same, other elements have been revised.