PEDIATRICS Vol. 76 No. 6 December 1985, pp. 978-980
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow P3Rs: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when P3Rs are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by GOETTING, M. G.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by GOETTING, M. G.

Acute Lithium Poisoning in a Child With Dystonia

MARK G. GOETTING MD1

1 Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor

Lithium is commonly used to treat bipolar depression in adults. Several recent studies demonstrate the efficacy of the drug for certain behavioral and affective disorders in children.1 There is also evidence that lithium may be therapeutic in a diverse group of clinical problems including premenstrual syndrome, neutropenia, cluster headaches, certain movement disorders, and syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion.2-6 Thus, it appears that lithium use will increase, resulting in its greater availability for accidental poisoning. Currently, this is a rare event. A recent literature review disclosed no reports of single-dose intoxications either in childhood or manifesting as dystonia. The following is a description of a child who presented with dystonia associated with lithium ingestion.