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Resources for Health Care Professionals
Lead Testing
DHHS has developed a Blood Lead Risk Assessment and Testing plan to better guide health care providers in determining which children are at the most risk of lead exposure. The Statewide Blood Lead Risk Assessment and Testing Plan is a set of criteria that a child must meet in order to conduct a blood lead test.
Download the  Blood Lead Risk Assessment/Blood Lead Testing Plan
Criterion 1 - Geography: If the child lives in a targeted community. Blood lead data and age-of-housing data were used to determine communities where children are at high risk by where they live. Children living in the following targeted communities should be tested:
Alliance – 69301
Beatrice – 68310
Fremont – 68025
Grand Island – 68801
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Harvard – 68944
Hastings – 68901
Lincoln – 68502, 68503
Nebraska City – 68410
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Omaha – 68102, 68104,
68105, 68106, 68107,
68108, 68110, 68111,
68112, 68131, 68132
Scottsbluff – 69361 |
*As more blood lead data and demographic data are obtained, targeted communities will be re-evaluated annually and revised on the Blood Lead Testing Plan.
Criterion 2 - Medicaid and WIC: Whether a child participates in those programs. Medicaid requires testing a child at 12 and 24 months, and WIC requires staff to ask whether a participating child has had a blood lead test done in the past 12 months.
Criterion 3 - Risk Questionnaire: Six questions to help determine other factors that could place a child at risk.
Presentation: Nebraska’s Blood Lead Testing Plan
A PowerPoint presentation for physicians, nurses, health care providers, and public health professionals explaining the Blood Lead Testing Plan, sources of lead exposures, and medical management guidelines. Download the Blood Lead Testing Plan Presentation: Recommendations for Health Care Professionals
Lead Poisoning Prevention
DHHS has educational materials and tips for parents and caregivers to help identify sources of lead, reduce lead exposures, and prevent lead poisoning. See the Lead Poisoning Prevention page for more information.
Medical Guidelines and Case Management
DHHS has recommended medical management guidelines for follow-up and treatment for childhood lead poisoning.
Download the DHHS Medical Management Recommendations for Health Care Professionals
Mandatory Reporting of Blood Lead Tests
According to Nebraska Regulations, 173 NAC 1, health care providers and/or laboratories are required by law to submit reports of all blood lead tests, including capillary and venous tests, within seven days of detection. If the laboratory who performs the lead analysis provides a report to the Department, the physician is not required to report the test. Reports must include the following demographic information:
The date of sample collection and analysis; Whether the sample is a capillary or venous blood sample; The date of birth, address, and sex of the patient; The name and address of the physician; and The race and ethnicity of the patient, if known.
To read the entire Regulations, download Title 173 Chapter 1 Control of Communicable Disease
To find more information on reportable disease regulations, go to http://dhhs.ne.gov/publichealth/Pages/cod_codreport.aspx
Where to Report Blood Lead Tests
Except for reports made through NEDSS, lead reports can be sent via mail or fax to:
DHHS-Office of Environmental Health Hazards & Indoor Air
Lead-Based Paint Program
PO Box 95026, 301 Centennial Mall S- 3rd Floor
Lincoln, NE 68509-5026
Phone: 402-471-0386
Fax: 402-471-8833
E-mail: DHHS.HealthHazardsIndoorAir@nebraska.gov
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