title: Artificial Lithium Toxicity: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.
abstract: Lithium toxicity results in a range of gastrointestinal and neurologic signs and symptoms and can ultimately be fatal. Serum lithium levels may be unreliable when evaluating patients for toxicity, since levels may not be elevated in patients on chronic lithium therapy. Serum lithium levels may also be artificially elevated if blood is collected in a tube containing lithium heparin. We present a case of a woman on chronic lithium therapy whose lithium level was artificially elevated due to blood collection in an incorrect tube.
authors.affiliation: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia, University Medical Center, Department of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, New York, NY, United States lisasrichman@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Lisa S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Richman
authors.affiliation: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Department of Pharmacy, New York, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Amy L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Dzierba
authors.affiliation: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia, University Medical Center, Department of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, New York, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Kathleen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Connolly
authors.affiliation: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia, University Medical Center, Department of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, New York, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Paula M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Bryan
authors.affiliation: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia, University Medical Center, Department of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, New York, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Subani
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chandra
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000592:standards; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016651:Lithium Carbonate / Q000097:blood* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D016651:Lithium Carbonate
keywords: critical care; drug information; nephrology; neurology; pharmacy education