Clinical significance of the interaction between lithium and a neuromuscular blocker
Abstract
Reports of delayed recovery from anesthesia by patients concurrently receiving lithium carbonate and a neuromuscular blocker have been followed by a recommendation to avoid such a combination and, hence, concurrent treatment with lithium and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The authors review the literature and their clinical experience with such a drug combination at one psychiatric hospital. They conclude that the clinical and experimental findings to date are insufficient to warrant proscribing the combination of lithium and ECT on the basis of possible potentiation of neuromuscular blockade by lithium.
Access content
To read the fulltext, please use one of the options below to sign in or purchase access.- Personal login
- Institutional Login
- Sign in via OpenAthens
- Register for access
-
Please login/register if you wish to pair your device and check access availability.
Not a subscriber?
PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-5 library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development.
Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.).