title: [Acute lithium intoxications, review of the literature and cases study].
abstract: The efficacy of lithium in the prevention of bipolar disorders is now well established. However, acute lithium intoxications still occur, often after suicide attempts. Symptoms are often different from one patient to the other, and long lasting neurologic sequelae may happen. Active treatments are available, notably haemodialysis, which increase lithium clearance dramatically. We report cases quoted in the department of intensive care of Tours University Hospital over the last three years and compared them with the literature. Lithium level and treatment of these intoxications were analysed. Although new medicines are available for the treatment of bipolar disorders, lithium is still an important drug in this disease, therefore, the prescribers have to be aware of the consequences of acute lithium intoxications.
authors.affiliation: CHRU, Laboratoire de Pharmacologie-Toxicologie, Hôpital Bretonneau, Tours Cedex 01, France.
authors.forename: Corinne
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Furet
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Perrotin
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paintaud
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018020:Lithium Compounds / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000506:poisoning*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011041:Poisoning / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D018020:Lithium Compounds