Health & Human services

Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP)

PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT

Woman Dies from U​sing a Hemorrhoid Ointment from Vietnam

A woman in Sacramento developed severe lead poisoning and died after using a hemorrhoid  ointment from Vietnam called,  Cao Bôi Trĩ Cây Thầu Dầu​​.

Testing of the hemorrhoid ointment found that it contained four percent lead ​​(39,000 ppm), which is a highly dangerous amount. Lead is toxic. Exposure to any amount of lead can harm health.

The woman purchased the ointment on Facebook, and a relative in Vietnam mailed it to her in the U.S. It is unclear if people can directly buy this ointment in the U.S. ​ ​

Advice to Consumers

• Do not purchase or use this hemorrhoid ointment.

• If you are using this ointment, stop using it immediately.

• ​If you used this ointment, see your health care provider and get your blood tested for lead (venous blood test). ​​​Blood lead testing is the best method for identifying lead exposure. Because other household members could have come into contact with the ointment, all household members should have their blood lead tested. Children are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning.   ​

• ​​If you have this ointment, put the jar of ointment in a sealed plastic bag and contact (510) 620-3620 or email toxoutbreak@cdph.ca.gov.​

CLPPP Mission Statement:

Long Beach Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program is dedicated to lead poisoning prevention through health education and advocacy of timely lead screenings of children in the Long Beach community.

About Lead and Lead Poisoning:

For centuries lead (Pb), a highly toxic metal has been used in a variety of household products including paints, pigments, varnishes, food containers and ornamental crafts. Lead has also been widely used by industries such as battery manufacturing and recycling, soldering and welding, smelting and casting, and the manufacture of lead paints, inks, glazes and pigments.

For many years, lead was used as an additive in household paint because of its high gloss and anticorrosive properties. In 1978, the Federal Government prohibited the use of lead in household paint. However, lead has been found in exposed layers of old household paint due to poor upkeep and deterioration. People are exposed to lead in the home environment where lead-based paint is deteriorating or disturbed during remodeling and renovation. Children, especially toddlers, may ingest lead from old peeling or chipping paint, paint dust or lead contaminated soil. Pica, the ingestion of non-food items, is common in young children especially during the "hand-to-mouth" stage in the toddler years.

Current medical studies indicate that even low lead levels can cause learning and behavior problems in children. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, low levels of lead exposure (below 10 micrograms per deciliter) in children can cause learning and behavioral problems. At moderate to high levels of exposure, children can have neurological, kidney damage, immune system deficits, and reproductive problems (in adulthood) and even death in rare cases.

CLPPP Primary Services:

Case Management: A Public Health Nurse (PHN) writes a service plan, contacts the primary health care provider to assure adequate follow up of the lead poisoned child and offers referrals to the family for other services. In addition, the PHN provides education to the family, verifies that an environmental investigation of the home is conducted and reassesses the child and family as needed until the case meets closure criteria as defined by the State of California Department of Health Services.

Environmental Assessment: The Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) provides families of lead poisoned children with a thorough inspection of the residence and a laboratory investigation. The REHS also makes sure that sources of lead in the home environment are eliminated or remediated.

Community Outreach: The Health Educator (HE) and Community Worker (CW) provide public information campaigns, workshops, presentations and other outreach events to educate the public about childhood lead poisoning health effects, sources and prevention measures. They facilitate special workshops for parents with preschool age children, childcare providers, and non-profit organizations.

Professional Outreach: The Public Health Nurse and Health Educator provide the medical community with current information regarding lead sources, screening and legislative information. They also verify that childhood lead testing and screening policies are followed and implemented. They also establish goals with local medical providers to improve the number of children being screened for lead poisoning.

For questions or information about the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP), call 562-570-4564 or e-mail HE-CLPPP@longbeach.gov.

For Medical Providers

CLPPP Referral Form for BLLs < 3.5 mcg/dL (Revised August 25, 2023)	Management Guidelines for Health Care Providers (Rev. Sept 2023)	Standard of Care Guidelines for California Health Care Providers (Rev. 2019)
Health Effects of Lead Exposure	Educational Materials Order Form

Educational Materials

Why Lead Testing Matters (EN/SP) Revised 2023	Keeping Your Child Safe from Lead in Baby Foods  (EN/SP)	Find The Lead Sources (EN/SP)
Is Your Child at Risk for Lead Poisoning? Checklist (EN/SP)	Lead in Traditional Ceramic Dishware	Well Fed = Less Lead
Lead in Aviation Gas (EN/SP)	Do You Use Firearms? (EN/SP)