Lithium is a drug used in psychiatry to treat certain conditions as a mood stabiliser. There are several types of intoxication: acute, chronic and exacerbated chronic.
There are certain factors that can favour the said poisoning, among which the reduction of ions in the blood such as sodium, dehydration or the use of diuretics and changes in renal function stand out.
The clinical manifestations include diarrhoea, dizziness, nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, weakness, tremors in the hands, incoordination of arms and legs, muscle fasciculations, convulsions, changes in speech, uncontrollable eye movements, coma and cardiac arrhythmias, which can lead to the death of the patient.
Diagnosis is based on a detailed medical history, a complete physical examination, blood and urine tests and an electrocardiogram.
Treatment is based on maintaining life support, correct hydration, gastric lavage and blood cleansing by haemodialysis if necessary.
- Jeanmarie Perrone, Pia Chatterjee. Lithium poisoning. UpToDate. Feb 05, 2015.
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