Table 2 Characteristic of patients with psychiatric illnesses and lithium therapy (N = 307)
Characteristics | Number (%) |
|---|---|
Diagnosis | |
Bipolar disorder | 182 (59.3) |
Schizoaffective disorder | 33 (10.7) |
Major depressive disorder | 44 (14.3) |
Cyclothymia | 13 (4.2) |
Neurodevelopmental disorder (ADHD, Autism, intellectual disability) | 32 (10.4) |
Other | 3 (9.8) |
History of hospitalization | |
No | 155 (50.5) |
Yes | 152 (49.5) |
Both psychiatric illness and physical illness | 38 (12.4) |
Psychiatric illness | 78 (25.4) |
Physical illness | 36 (11.7) |
Lithium compliance | |
Good | 228 (74.3) |
Poor | 79 (25.7) |
Age onset of lithium therapy (year) ≤ 20 21–30 31–40 41–50 51–60 > 60 | 69 (22.5) 99 (32.2) 57 (18.6) 41 (13.4) 29 (9.4) 12 (3.9) |
Dose of lithium usage (milligram/day) | |
300 | 70 (22.8) |
600 | 140 (45.6) |
900 | 78 (25.4) |
1200 | 16 (5.2) |
1500 | 3 (1.0) |
Serum level of lithium (mEq/L) < 0.6 0.6–1.2 1.3–1.5 > 1.5 Not available | 82 (26.7) 60 (19.5) 6 (1.9) 5 (1.6) 154 (50.2) |
Duration of lithium therapy (year) | |
< 1 | 86 (28.0) |
1–5 | 107 (34.9) |
6–10 | 45 (14.7) |
> 10 | 69 (22.5) |
Presence of lithium side effects | |
No | 240 (78.2) |
Yes | 67 (21.8) |
Tremor | 34 (11.1) |
Nausea, vomiting | 20 (6.5) |
Dizziness | 13 (4.2) |
Dysarthria | 3 (1.0) |
CKD | 6 (1.9) |
Stage 3a | 5 (1.6) |
Stage 3b | 0 (0.0) |
Stage 4 | 0 (0.0) |
Stage 5 | 1 (0.3) |
Presence of lithium intoxication | |
No | 299 (97.4) |
Yes | 8 (2.6) |