Some hazards of lithium use.

The increasingly widespread use of lithium has benefited many, but the therapeutic potential of the drug will not be realized if it is used in a way that is haphazard or inattentive or adheres too rigidly to written guidelines. The authors present clinical vignettes that are representative rather than comprehensive examples of misadventures which can occur during the course of lithium therapy. They hope to stimulate a more knowledgeable, flexible, open-minded, and individualized approach to the use of this drug.