Lithium overdose : Early hemodialysis is the key !

Abstract EN

A 65-year-old gentleman was referred to our hospital with encephalopathy and renal failure.

His medications included lithium for the treatment of bipolar disorder.

The clinical examination and the laboratory investigations that followed revealed findings classical of lithium overdose.

The patient was successfully managed and discharged from the hospital on Day 9 of admission.

Clinicians should be aware of this rather unusual and relatively rare differential cause of acute on chronic renal failure with encephalopathy.