Document da4ZORbjybBz8vqVva8EBaKZ6

A O !VISIO N OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC W ELFARE Ba l t im o r e C it y Ho spit a l s 4 9 4 0 EASTERN AVENUE BA LT I M O RE 2 4 , M A RYLA N D Sept. 15, 1969 tN R E P LY R EFER TO Dr. Robert A. Kehoe frofessor Emeritus of Occupational M edicine Department of Environmental Health Kettering Laboratory, College of M edicine Eden and Bethesda Aves. Cincinnat i, Ohio 45219 Dear Dr. Kehoe: M any thanks for your letter of July 21, 1969. I am cert ainly in agreement with the points brought out in your letter. I am writing at this time because my thoughts have changed a lit t le bit since my last letter to you with respect to the determination of lead in blood on capillary samples of blood. Although obtaining a cap illary sample by finger prick maybe quite appealing from the public relations point of view , it may indeed introduce a significant variable from the analyt ic point of view . Thus the hematocrit on the cap illary sample may vary significantly from the hematocrit of a venous sample, which could intro duce a significant variable with reference to lead. For this reason, we hope to try small venous samples and w ill, in the course of the study we are undertaking, determine how easy it is for the usual house officer to obtain one to three ml of blood by venapuncture from very small children. I shall let you know how this progresses. It would not change the analyt ical procedure and might improve the reliab ilit y. I hope you w ill keep me informed, as we would be glad to try any promising analyt ic technique in the study we are undertaking during the next 12 months. I may add that the emphasis in this study is on the reliab ilit y of analyt ical and sampling procedures rather than on the incidence aspect of the problem. I do plan to be at the APH A meeting in Philadelphia in November, and hope possibly to have a chance to meet you then. JJC:o v N22117