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Steven Lippmann, MD; Manoochehr Manshadi, MD; Fawzi Hattab, MD; Jose Ossorio, MD; Nasir Siddiqui, MD; John Wuertz, MD
University Hospital, 5E 530 S Jackson St Louisville, KY 40292

Arch Neurol. 1984;41(9):915.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

To the Editor.

—Donaldson and Cuningham¹ have written an interesting article cataloging lithium carbonate—induced neurologic sequelae. Their detailed article illustrates the substantial risks to neural tissue in lithium carbonate intoxication, and the authors eloquently describe a range of lithium carbonate-induced neuropathies.

One problem with this important article has to do with references to the cited patients as having recieved lithium carbonate therapy. The case descriptions were not ones of correct therapy because the doses, plasma levels, and means of prescribing lithium carbonate were inappropriately toxic rather than therapeutic. The following examples contain illustrations on how not to prescribe lithium salts: (1) administering this pharmaceutical to patients with obvious signs of intoxication or worsening physiologic status; (2) prescribing lithium salts to persons in the seventh decade of life at 1,800-mg/day doses; (3) disregarding the established principles of reduced renal clearance in persons of advanced age; (4) maintaining lithium assays . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

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