Table 1: Recommended Schedule for Obtaining a Confirmatory Venous Sample
| Blood Lead Level (μg/dL) | Time to Confirmation Testing** |
| ≥3.5–9 | Within 3 months |
| 10–19 | Within 1 month |
| 20–44 | Within 2 weeks |
| ≥45 | Within 48 hours |
**The higher the BLL is on the initial screening capillary test, the more urgent it is to get a venous sample for confirmatory testing.
Table 2: Schedule for Follow-Up Blood Lead Testinga
| Venous blood lead levels (µg/dL) | Early follow up testing (2–4 tests after initial test above specific venous BLLs) | Later follow up testing after BLL declining |
| ≥3.5–9 | 3 months* | 6–9 months |
| 10–19 | 1–3 months* | 3–6 months |
| 20–44 | 2 weeks–1 month | 1–3 months |
| ≥45 | As soon as possible | As soon as possible |
a Changes in BLLs due to seasonal weather changes may be more apparent in colder climate areas. Greater exposure in the summer months may necessitate more frequent follow ups.
*Some case managers or healthcare providers may choose to repeat blood lead tests on all new patients within a month. Repeated testing may confirm that the child’s BLL is decreasing.
