Doctors Hospital
Originally Published: Modern Resident, December 2015/ January 2016
Lithium is often a first line treatment for bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder, and is commonly present on many emergency department patients’ medication lists. Studies have shown that as many as 75-90% of patients taking lithium long-term develop toxicity at some point throughout their treatment.[5] This is primarily due to the fact that lithium has a very narrow therapeutic index. In 2008, the American Association of Poison Control Centers received over 6,000 reports of potential lithium toxicities and four reported deaths.[5] While lithium toxicity is not as commonly seen as some other toxidromes in the emergency department, it is still very relevant to daily practice.
