title: Prediction of optimal lithium doses for Taiwanese psychiatric patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Standard dosing regimens with lithium usually require significant time before the optimal serum concentration is achieved.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study compares a new method (Method 1) with two existing ones (Methods 2 and 3) for dosing of individual patients with lithium, to more rapidly achieve optimum concentrations. Thirty patients, who were on lithium therapy and who met the inclusion criteria, were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The correlation coefficient between true and expected concentrations were 0.518 (P < 0.01), 0.555 (P < 0.01) and 0.424 (P = 0.019) respectively. The mean +/- standard deviation of the difference from the expected concentrations of three methods were 0.02 +/- 0.20 mEq/L, 0.31 +/- 0.22 and -0.27 +/- 0.25 respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Method 1 was the least biased and most accurate among three methods for predicting the optimal therapeutic lithium dose in Taiwanese psychiatric patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Yu-Li Hospital, Department of Health, Hualien, Taiwan.
authors.forename: H-C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Y-L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: T-H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: H-J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: W-M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: T J F
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018692:Antimanic Agents / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D044466:Asian People; D001806:Blood Urea Nitrogen; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016651:Lithium Carbonate / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013624:Taiwan
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D018692:Antimanic Agents; D016651:Lithium Carbonate; D003404:Creatinine