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The Science and Practice of Lithium Therapy pp 265–276Cite as

Lithium and Renal Failure

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Abstract

Lithium has a narrow therapeutic index and can consequently result in considerable toxicity if levels are not monitored regularly. Among lithium’s potential side effects are two types of renal toxicity: decreased renal concentrating ability and chronic renal failure. Lithium-induced polyuria is frequent, estimated to affect up to 40 % of patients, and usually develops early. It may be irreversible, especially if the treatment has been prescribed for more than 15 years. Chronic renal failure is observed in patients treated for more than 10–20 years. Its prevalence is estimated at 12 % after 19 years of treatment. Some patients (0.5 %) may reach end-stage renal disease.

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Acknowledgement

We acknowledge the assistance of Dr Bruce Cooper (Head, Department of Renal Medicine, Royal North Shore Hospital) with Figure 16.2.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nephrology, Assistance publique – Hôpitaux de Paris, Necker – Enfants Malades Hospital, Paris, France

    Aude Servais & Jean-Pierre Grünfeld

  2. Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France

    Aude Servais & Jean-Pierre Grünfeld

  3. Department of Nephrology, Necker Hospital, 149, rue de Sèvres, 75015, Paris, France

    Aude Servais

  4. Clinique du Château, Garches, France

    Marc Masson

Authors
  1. Aude Servais
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  2. Marc Masson
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  3. Jean-Pierre Grünfeld
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Aude Servais .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Academic Department of Psychiatry, Sydney Medical School The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

    Gin S. Malhi

  2. Nightingale Hospitals Paris-Clinique du Château de Garches, Consultant Service Hospitalo-Universitaire Centre Hospitalier Sainte-Anne, Paris, France

    Marc Masson

  3. Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris, INSERM UMR-S1144 Paris-Diderot University, Paris, France

    Frank Bellivier

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Servais, A., Masson, M., Grünfeld, JP. (2017). Lithium and Renal Failure. In: Malhi, G., Masson, M., Bellivier, F. (eds) The Science and Practice of Lithium Therapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-45923-3_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-45923-3_16

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-45921-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-45923-3

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