Case challenge · Emergency / Toxicology / Psychiatry · teaching

Lithium Toxicity — Management Pathway · case challenge

Given a case, work through the care pathway step by step; the tool checks each choice and scores you. Decisions and basis are taken from this site's reviewed care pathways.

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Case #1Emergency / Toxicology / Psychiatry

📋 Case data

SeverityMild–moderate

Data is taken from this pathway's reviewed node text. Work through the pathway step by step.

Step 1 / 1 · Severity

Severity (neurotoxicity / lithium level / type)?

💡 Narrow therapeutic window (0.6–1.2 mEq/L). Acute / acute-on-chronic / chronic (dehydration, AKI, NSAIDs/thiazides/ACEi cause accumulation; chronic is more dangerous, symptomatic at low levels). Mainly neurotoxic: tremor (most common) → ataxia, hyperreflexia/clonus, altered consciousness, dysarthria, seizures, coma; can cause SILENT (irreversible). Acute can be delayed (enters the brain over 24 h).

For teaching. Decisions and their basis are taken from this site's reviewed care pathways; for licensed clinicians/trainees, this does not replace clinical judgment or local protocols.