Premium
THE TREATMENT OF LITHIUM POISONING
Author(s) -
COATS D. A.,
TRAUTNER E. M.,
GERSHON S.
Publication year - 1957
Publication title -
australasian annals of medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.596
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-5994
pISSN - 0571-9283
DOI - 10.1111/imj.1957.6.1.11
Subject(s) - lithium (medication) , coma (optics) , potassium , medicine , ataxia , intracellular , physiology , endocrinology , pharmacology , gastroenterology , anesthesia , chemistry , biochemistry , psychiatry , physics , organic chemistry , optics
Summary Lithium salts are valuable in treatment of psychomotor overactivity. Administered lithium is distributed throughout the total body water and intracellular lithium accumulates at the expense of potassium. Lithium appears to interfere with intracellular, potassium‐dependent, metabolism. Sporadic cases of intoxication may occur if treatment is not controlled clinically and biochemically. The symptoms are: gastro‐intestinal disturbance, ataxia, urinary and fœtal incontinence, and coma. Preliminary symptoms may be insidious, and coma may develop suddenly. Treatment aims at promotion of cellular potassium uptake with release of lithium for renal excretion. Six illustrative cases are reported.