# Lead poisoning from a bullet?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-poisoning-from-a-bullet/152658>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 4, 2003, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-poisoning-from-a-bullet/152658 "2003-02-04T05:26:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![InLikeFlynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f19dbf/32.png) [@InLikeFlynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InLikeFlynn)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-poisoning-from-a-bullet/152658/1 "2003-02-04T05:26:58Z")

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I know that it is common practice for a surgeon to  
leave a bullet inside of a victim if the act of removing it could cause them more harm than good.

Assuming that the bullet is made of lead,  
[(and most still are)](http://www.nsf.gov/nstw_questions/misc/quest042.htm)  
wouldn’t this cause the person to contract lead poisoning?

Or is this procedure only followed for bullets not containing lead?

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**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-poisoning-from-a-bullet/152658/2 "2003-02-04T06:07:56Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> **Assuming that the bullet is made of lead, (and most still are) wouldn’t this cause the person to contract lead poisoning?**

Yes.

[Managing Elevated Blood Lead Levels Among Young Children: Recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention](http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/CaseManagement/caseManage_appendixes.htm)

> [@](#):
>
> Lead bullet  
> Lead absorbed from a retained bullet.  
> CR (Case Report)  
> Report of one adult and review of 18 other cases including seven children under 2 years old.

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**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-poisoning-from-a-bullet/152658/3 "2003-02-04T06:14:13Z")

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Better info:

[Lead arthropathy and systemic lead poisoning](http://www.arrs.org/edu/caseofweek/musculo/musculo01/cow01_0423/01_0423d.html)

> [@](#):
>
> Patients with gunshot wounds often have retained bullet fragments. In most cases, lead fragments in soft tissues become encapsulated by fibrous tissue and are effectively inert. This is not the case when bullet fragments are in contact with synovial fluid. Intra-articular lead fragments are a well-recognized cause of lead synovitis and arthritis and systemic plumbism. Lead poisoning from intraarticular bullets has been recognized since 1867. Mechanical forces within the joint pulverize the bullet and distribute the lead fragments. These lead fragments interact with the acidic synovial fluid, producing foreign body reactions, mechanical articular cartilage damage, proliferative synovitis, and destructive arthritis. The inflamed synovial membrane favors absorption of lead into the systemic circulation.

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**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-poisoning-from-a-bullet/152658/4 "2003-02-04T06:39:17Z")

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“I hear Ol’ Tex got himself killed out in Dodge City.”

“Yep. He died of acute lead poisonin’.”