Lithium in the over-65s: Who is taking it and who is monitoring it?Survey of older adults on lithium in the Cambridge Mental HealthServices catchment area
L. Head
Bok Engelsk 1998
| Utgitt | 1998
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| Omfang | Side 164- 171
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| Opplysninger | Objectives. To determine the prevalence of lithium therapy in theover-65s in the Cambridge Mental Health Services catchment area, toabtain a profile of this group and to find out how well and by whomlithium treatment is being monitored.Methods. A census was carried out of patients over the age of 65 inthe Cambridge Mental Health Services catchment area who were onlithium therapy on 1 February 1995. The records of these patientswere examined retrospectively for demographic details, details oflithium therapy, information about lithium monitoring and riskfactors associated with lithium treatment.Results. One hundred and forty-eight patients were identifiedrepresenting a point prevalence of 0.27%. GPs carried out lithiummonitoring for the majority of this group and 47% had not been seenby a psychiatrist in the 12 months leading up to the census date.Thirty-two per cent of the group were on thyroxine treatment or hadraised TSH levels.Conclusions. The prevalence of lithium therapy in this study wasgreater than the prevalences reported in studies of patients of allages. Standards of monitoring varied widely and were not alwaysbetter where psychiatrists monitored the treatment, althoughpsychiatrists were more likely than GPs to monitor renal function.There was a high rate of thyroid dysfunction in the study group. (C)1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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