Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-lrblm Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-24T05:32:44.656Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Delayed response to abnormal lithium results is no longer necessary

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

J. R. King  and
N. J. Birch
J. R. King*
Affiliation:
Worcestershire Community Trust and University of Birmingham, Hill Crest Clinic, Quinney's Lane, Redditch B98 7WG
N. J. Birch
Affiliation:
University of Wolverhampton
*
∗Correspondence
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

A survey of one year's lithium results for a hearth district of 170 000 disclosed unacceptable delays in checking abnormally high values. Only 17% of moderately elevated levels were rechecked within a week. The problem was most marked with patients monitored in general practice, but one particularly high result in a patient monitored in psychiatric out-patients remained unchecked for over three weeks as a result of poor communication between general practitioner and psychiatrist. A trial of an on-the-spot monitoring service using new technology has simplified procedures and reduced to zero the number of results taking over a week to check.

Type
Original papers
Information
Psychiatric Bulletin , Volume 22 , Issue 8 , August 1998 , pp. 471 - 473
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © 1998 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

References

Birch, N. J., Freeman, M., Phillips, J., et al (1992) The lithium ion selective electrode and its use in the lithium clinic: real time monitoring of plasma lithium. Lithium, 3, 133–137.Google Scholar
Cookson, J. (1997) Lithium: balancing risks and benefits. British Journal of Psychiatry, 171, 120–124.Google Scholar
de Montigny, C. (1994) Lithium addition in treatment-resistant depression. International Clinical Psycho-pharmacology, 9 (suppl. 2), 31–35.Google Scholar
King, J. R., Phillips, J. D., Judge, R., et al (1991) Instant lithium monitoring. Psychiatric Bulletin, 15, 138–139.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moncrieff, J. (1997) Lithium: evidence reconsidered. British Journal of Psychiatry, 171, 113–119.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Myers, D. H. & Hallworth, M. J. (1996a) An investigation of high lithium concentrations. Psychiatric Bulletin, 20, 331–333.Google Scholar
Myers, D. H. & Hallworth, M. J. (1996b) An investigation into lithium monitoring. Psychiatric Bulletin, 20, 333–334.Google Scholar
Peet, M. & Harvey, N. S. (1991) Lithium maintenance: a standard education programme for patients. British Journal of Psychiatry, 158, 197–200.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ryman, A. (1997) Lithium monitoring in hospital and general practice. Psychiatric Bulletin, 21, 570–572.Google Scholar
Schou, M. (1988) Effects of long-term lithium treatment on kidney function: an overview. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 22, 287–296.Google Scholar
Schou, M. (1992) Lithium prophylaxis in perspective. Pharmacopsychiatry, 25, 7–9.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.