system
Medical AI Inquiry: You were designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.
user
A 4-year-old girl is brought to the doctor by her mother with the complaint of hearing loss, which her mother noticed a few days ago when the girl stopped responding to her name. The mother is anxious and says, “I want my child to get better even if it requires admission to the hospital.” Her family moved to a 70-year-old family home in Flint, Michigan, in 2012. The girl has a known history of beta-thalassemia trait. She has never been treated for hookworm, as her mother states that they maintain “good hygiene standards” at home. On examination, the girl currently uses only 2-syllable words. She is in the 70th percentile for height and 50th for weight. A Rinne test reveals that the girl’s air conduction is greater than her bone conduction in both ears. She does not respond when the doctor calls her name, except when he is within her line of sight. Her lab parameters are:
Hemoglobin 9.9 gm%
Mean corpuscular volume 80 fl
Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) 15.9%
Serum ferritin 150 ng/ml
Total iron binding capacity 320 µg/dL
A peripheral smear shows a microcytic hypochromic anemia with basophilic stippling and a few target cells. Which of the following is the next best step in the management of this patient?
assistant
Remove and prevent the child from exposure to the source of lead