Sustained low-efficiency dialysis (SLED) for acute lithium intoxication

2008

Acute lithium intoxication may cause serious neurologic and cardiac manifestations, up to the patient's death. Owing to its low molecular weight, relatively small volume of distribution close to that of total body water, and its negligible protein binding, lithium can be efficiently removed by any extracorporeal modality of renal replacement therapy (RRT). However, the shift from the intracellular to the extracellular compartment, with the inherent rebound phenomenon after the end of RRT, might limit the efficacy of the conventional, short-lasting haemodialysis. There have been no published studies up to now concerning the use of sustained low-efficiency dialysis (SLED) in lithium intoxicat…