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Medical complications of psychiatric treatment
Felicia A Smith1, Curtis W Wittmann, Theodore A Stern
1Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. fsmith2@partners.org
Abstract:
Psychiatric medications are frequently an essential component of care for critically ill patients. Their use may lead to medical complications, however, as a result of (1) direct toxicity from psychotropic medications, (2) drug-drug interactions, or (3) intoxication or withdrawal states. These complications may be a nuisance (eg, dry mouth and nausea) or serious and life-threatening (eg, neuroleptic malignant syndrome and cardiac arrhythmias). This article addresses the most important medical complications (organized by organ systems) of psychiatric treatment.
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