Heavy metal poisoning: a review of the literature

Abstract

Despite the efforts made by the World Health Organization to create prevention programs and strategies for heavy metal poisoning, some of these are still frequent, mainly in some work areas. Its effects can range from minimal to lethal for humans, depending on the exposure time and the dose. The health professional is an essential point of contact to detect possible exposure and intoxication with any of these heavy metals, so knowing their symptoms and mechanism of action, metabolism, and treatment is of the utmost importance. In this brief article, some of the most important points to consider as healthcare personnel are summarized.