Main description:

When prescribed appropriately, most psychotropic medications are fairly safe. Although some side effects are common and even expected, occasional serious-and even life-threatening-adverse effects may arise that require immediate intervention. The Pocket Guide to Serious Adverse Events in Psychopharmacology focuses on the latter. With chapters written by a combination of experts and novices in the field, this guide provides a summary of the extant knowledge of effects that include:
Acute dystonia
Cardiac emergencies
Discontinuation and withdrawal
Neuroleptic malignant syndrome
Overdose
Designed to be easily referenced, chapters are arranged alphabetically and feature sections on recognition and detection, culprit medications, assessment, management, and follow-up treatment. Concise in format and broad in scope, this reference is particularly useful for psychopharmacology beginners but serves to reinforce for all readers the importance of frequent communication with patients and their families.

Contents:

Introduction: The Art of Prescribing and "Surviving" Emergent Serious Side Effects in Psychopharmacology
Chapter 1. Acute dystonia
Chapter 2. Agitation
Chapter 3. Agranulocytosis with clozapine and other psychotropic medications
Chapter 4. Benzodiazepines and opioids divided and together
Chapter 5. Cardiac emergencies such as arrhythmias, QTc prolongation, and cardiomyopathy
Chapter 6. Discontinuation of psychotropic medications
Chapter 7. Hepatotoxicity of psychotropic medications
Chapter 8. Hypertensive crisis and dietary or drug violation with monoamine oxidase inhibitors
Chapter 9. Hyponatremia, especially in older adults
Chapter 10. Neuroleptic malignant syndrome
Chapter 11. Ocular side effects of psychotropic medications
Chapter 12. Overdoses of psychotropic medications: antidepressants, lithium, and antipsychotics
Chapter 13. Polypharmacy and acute side effects
Chapter 14. Pregnancy: to stop or not to stop
Chapter 15. Psychopharmacological seizure risk management
Chapter 16. Serotonin syndrome
Chapter 17. Substances with addictive potential and psychotropic medications
Chapter 18. Tardive dyskinesia