Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-wzw2p Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-01T09:09:01.061Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Lithium: poisonings and suicide prevention

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

F. Montagnon*
Affiliation:
Service de psychiatrie du Dr. Dumaine, hôpital générale de Meaux, 6-8, rue Saint Fiacre, 77100 Meaux, France
S. Saïd
Affiliation:
Service de psychiatrie, clinique Rémy de Gourmont, 75019 Paris, France
J.P. Lepine
Affiliation:
Service de psychiatrie, hôpital Fernand Widal, 75010 Paris, France
*
*Correspondence and reprints.
Get access

Summary

This study concerns 81 cases of lithium poisoning and shows that deliberate intoxications are prevalent during the first 3 years of lithium treatment as well as in cases with a previous history of suicide attempt. Therapeutic intoxications could generally be avoided by education concerning hygiene and diet and careful monitoring in cases of intercurrent diseases.

Type
Short communication
Copyright
Copyright © Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS. 2002

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ahrens, BMüller-Oerlinghausen, BGrof, P. Length of lithium treatment needed to eliminate the high mortality of affective disorders. Br J Psychiatry 1993 ; 163 (Suppl 21) : 27–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ahrens, BMüller-Oerlinghausen, BSchou, MWolf, TAlda, EGrof, P et al. Excess cardiovascular and suicide mortality of affective disorders may be reduced by lithium prophylaxis. J Affect Disord 1995 ; 33 : 65–75.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ahrens, BGrof, PMöller, HJMüller-Oerlinghausen, BWolf, T. Extended survival of patients on long-term lithium treatment. Can J Psychiatry 1995 ; 40 : 241–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Amdisen, A. Clinical features and management of lithium poisoning. Med Toxicol 1988 ; 3 : 18–32.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cade, JFJ. Lithium salts in the treatment of psychotic excitement. Med J Australia 1949 ; 36 : 349–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goodwin, FKJamison, KR. Manic-depressive illness. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 1990.Google Scholar
Hanus, HTuma, I. Prevention of suicidal activity in patients with affective disorders by treatment with lithium. Cesk. Psychiatrie 1992 ; 88 : 113–8.Google ScholarPubMed
Helgason, T. Epidemiology of mental disorders in Iceland. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1964 ; 40 (Suppl) : 173.Google ScholarPubMed
Isometsa, XHenriksen, XLönnqvist, X. Completed suicide and recent lithium treatment. J Affect Disord 1992 ; 26 : 101–4.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Maggs, R.Treatment of manic illness with lithium carbonate. Br J Psychiatry 1963 ; 109 : 56–65.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Modestin, JSchwarzenbach, F. Effects of pharmacotherapy on suicide risk in discharged psychiatric inpatients. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1992 ; 85 : 173–5.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Müller-Oerlinghausen, B. Lithium long-term treatment: does it act via serotonin? Pharmacopsychiatry 1985 ; 18 : 214–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Müller-Oerlinghausen, BMüser-Causemann, BVolk, J. Suicides and parasuicides in a high-risk patient group on and off lithium long-term medication. J Affect Disord 1992 ; 25 : 261–70.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Müller-Oerlinghausen, BWolf, TAhrens, BSchou, MGrof, ELenz, G et al. Mortality during initial and during later lithium treatment; a collaborative study by the international group for the study of lithium-treated patients. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1994 ; 90 : 295–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Norton, BWhalley, LJ. Mortality of a lithium-treated population. Br J Psychiatry 1984 ; 145 : 277–82.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schou, MJuel-Nielsen, NStrömgren, EVoldby, H. The treatment of manic psychosis by the administration of lithium salts. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1954 ; 17 : 250–60.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tondo, LBaldessarini, RJHennen, JFloris, GSilvetti, FTohen, M. Lithium treatment and risk of suicidal behavior in bipolar disorder patients. J Clin Psychiatry 1998 ; 59 : 405–13.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vestergaard, PAagaard, J. Five-year mortality in lithium-treated manic-depressive patients. J Affect Disord 1991 ; 21 : 33–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Waddington, DMackenzie, IP. Overdose rates in lithium-treated versus antidepressant-treated outpatients. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1994 ; 90 : 50–2.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wickham, EAReed, JV. Lithium for the control of aggressive and self-mutilating behaviour. Int Clin Psychopharmacol 1987 ; 2 : 181–90.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.