Lithium in human body - Treating depression
Lithium is a soft alkali metal with a silver color. Pure Lithium is highly reactive and is also highly inflammable. Lithium has a lot of industrial use and is widely used in primary and rechargeable batteries. So accidental ingestion of Lithium is possible.
Lithium is an element similar to Sodium and Potassium with low atomic weight. In natural state, human body doesn’t contain Lithium. However, Lithium compound is administered as a medicine to mental patients with depression.
When administered, the concentration of Lithium in serum should be maintained between 0.5 and 1.5 millimoles/litre. In laboratory, a Flame Photometer with special filter is used to estimate Lithium in Serum. An absence of Lithium obviously indicates that the patient is not taking the medicine.
If the Serum Lithium is below 0.5 millimoles/litre, Lithium medicine doze is increased and if it is above 1.5 millimoles/litre, the doze is increased. Lithium poisoning due to overdose can lead to permanent neurological damage. Lithium is removed from body through kidneys and hence for patients with renal problems, administration must be very controlled.
Common side effects of lithium treatment include twitching, bone loss, kidney damage and seizures. Some of these are caused by the increased removal of potassium.
If an overdose is detected, the immediate treatment is to clear the abdominal contents (gastric lavage). This is effective if treated immediately after ingestion. So getting the patient immediately to hospital is important.