Physicians tend to recommend a lead test for workers whose environment contains lead, children who have been exposed to lead paint and anyone who lives with someone who has developed lead poisoning. The children of parents who work with lead or any children who were born outside the US should get testing, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Initial samples can be collected via the finger stick method, but any positive results should be confirmed via a venous test, since finger sticks can easily become contaminated. 

In children, follow-up testing for monitoring purposes should occur whenever the lead level is greater than 10 micrograms per deciliter. Persistent blood lead levels above 10 to 19 mcg/dL or initial tests higher than 20 mcg/dL indicate a problem in the environment. In adults, levels should be equal to or less than 25 mcg/dL. Workers who show more than 40 mcg/dL on an initial test should receive more testing every two months until the blood lead level drops.