Course Summary
Lithium is an antimanic agent that causes mood stabilization in patients who have bipolar disorder. Lithium is effective for the treatment of manic episodes, and it is also a first-choice drug for maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder. The safe and effective use of lithium requires close monitoring of the patient symptoms and of the patient’s lithium levels, as well as a thorough understanding of the potential complications and adverse effects of lithium therapy.
Course Format
Homestudy
Course Syllabus
- I. Introduction
- II. Pharmacological Profile
- 1. Category
- 2. Mechanism of Action
- 3. Drug Uses
- 4. Dosing: Adult
- 5. Dosing: Geriatric
- 6. Dosing Adjustment: Hepatic Impairment
- 7. Dosing Adjustment: Renal Impairment
- 8. Available Forms
- 9. Contraindications
- 10. US Boxed Warning
- 11. Warnings
- 12. Adverse Effects
- 13. Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
- 14. Dietary Concerns
- 15. Laboratory Tests and Lithium Levels
- III. Clinical Pearls: Lithium
- 1. Lithium Overdose
- 2. Lithium and Sleep
- 3. Lithium and Aggression
- IV. Case Studies: Lithium
- 1. Case Study 1: Aggression and Self-harming
- 2. Case 2: Lithium Toxicity
- V. Summary
Authors
Dana Bartlett, RN, BSN, MSN, MA, CSPI
Dana Bartlett is a professional nurse and author. His clinical experience includes 16 years of ICU and ER experience and over 27 years as a poison control center information specialist. Dana has published numerous CE and journal articles, written NCLEX material, textbook chapters, and more than 100 online CE articles, and done editing and reviewing for publishers such as Elsevier, Lippincott, and Thieme. He has written widely on the subject of toxicology and was a contributing editor, toxicology section, for Critical Care Nurse journal. He is currently employed at the Connecticut Poison Control Center. He lives in Wappingers Falls, NY.
Abimbola Farinde, PhD, PharmD
Abimbola Farinde, PhD., PharmD is a healthcare professional and professor who has gained experience in the field and practice of mental health, geriatrics, and pharmacy. Dr. Farinde has worked with active duty soldiers with dual diagnoses of a traumatic brain injury and a psychiatric disorder providing medication therapy management and disease state management. She has also worked with mentally impaired and developmentally disabled individuals at a state supported living center. Her different practice experiences have allowed her to develop and enhance her professional and clinical skills over the years. Dr. Farinde always strives to maintain a commitment towards achieving professional growth as she transitions from one phase of her career to the next.
