title: Supervising lithium. A comparison of a lithium clinic, psychiatric out-patient clinics, and general practice.
abstract: Supervision of lithium treatment among three groups of patients treated in different settings - at a lithium clinic, as hospital out-patients, and by a GP - was studied. The lithium clinic maintained lower levels and checked these more frequently. Elevated lithium levels were most frequent in the GP-supervised group, which also included the 13 patients with the most impaired glomerular filtration. In hospital settings GFR-impaired patients received a lower daily dose of lithium; in general practice, affected patients had a higher mean serum lithium level and were more frequently prescribed lithium once daily. We conclude that patients with glomerular impairment who require lithium should be supervised by a specialist, or at least prescribed lithium in divided daily doses.
authors.affiliation: Yeovil District Hospital.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Masterton
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Warner
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Roxburgh
mesh_terms: D000553:Ambulatory Care; D004739:England; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D006801:Humans; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000503:physiopathology; D008094:Lithium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D008094:Lithium