Burch E A, Goldschmidt T J, Schwartz B D
J Clin Psychiatry. 1986 Mar;47(3):144-6.
The dexamethasone suppression test (DST) is being used clinically as a diagnostic laboratory test for depression. Drug histories collected from 336 psychiatric inpatients revealed that 60% were taking one or more drugs suspected of altering DST results in either a false-positive or false-negative manner. Practical limitations of the DST as a biologic marker of affective syndromes in relation to patient drug use are discussed.
