Pocket Guide to Emergent and Serious Adverse Events in Psychopharmacology

by Richard Balon MD (Editor), Mary K. Morreale MD (Editor)

Overview

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 Emergent and 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781615374540
Publisher:	American Psychiatric Association Publishing
Publication date:	03/09/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	236
File size:	590 KB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Richard Balon, M.D., is Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences and Anesthesiology and Associate Chair for Education and Faculty Affairs, and Program Director in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, Michigan.

Mary K. Morreale, M.D., is Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, Michigan, and affiliated with Karmanos Cancer Center.

Table of Contents

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

What People are Saying About This

Ira D. Glick

This needed and very readable text focused on "emergent and serious adverse events," we all ecounter in psychiatric clinical practice, should be on the desk or back pocket of every clinician doing modern psychopharmacology.

Michelle Riba

Doctors Balon and Morreale, along with renowned educators and clinicians, have joined forces to describe the top clinical psychopharmacologic worries for which all mental health providers, primary care providers as well as other clinicians, should know about and for which to be on the alert.

Sidney Zisook

Pocket Guide to Emergent and Serious Adverse Events in Psychopharmacology is a valuable addition to my library and will be an even more valuable addition to the pockets, if not the offices and call rooms, of psychiatric trainees and practitioners. In the first chapter the editors state the Pocket Guide is "mostly for psychopharmacology beginners" but after over 40 years in the field, I hardy see myself as a beginner, yet I plan to refer this guide often. It is for all of us who prescribe psychotropics. The chapters are carefully selected, uniformly well-written, clinically relevant, concise enough to be read in their entirely at one sitting, and the references are up to date. I especially liked the addition of a brief section on "follow-up management" after the section on "management" and the succinct list of "key points" at the end of each chapter. The only thing I found missing was a chapter on suicidal thoughts and behavior. I will definitely recommend this pocket guide to residents and clinical colleagues.

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Matthew Koster, DO, MBA (Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services)
Description: This pocket guide is a reference tool that covers serious side effects and emergencies associated with the use of psychotropic medications, written alphabetically. Each section follows a similar format, including an introduction to the topic, recognizing signs/symptoms, medications associated with the side effect, assessment, management, follow-up management, conclusion, and key points.
Purpose: The book is written as a guide for clinicians on the art of prescribing psychotropic medications. The authors have compiled up-to-date information regarding adverse effects that they consider to be serious and potentially life-threatening. They acknowledge that it is intended to be a brief guide rather than an in-depth presentation of managing side effects of psychotropic medications. The book does a good job of delivering its stated purpose.
Audience: According to the authors, the book is intended for "psychopharmacology beginners," which is consistent with the information contained in the text. The book meets the needs of this intended audience well, but those with more extensive psychopharmacology knowledge may find it somewhat lacking. Each chapter is written by a group of individuals with a range of experience in the subject, from experts to novices to the field.
Features: The book is well-organized with topics arranged alphabetically. The table of contents is easy to navigate, and the information is easily accessible owing to its well-organized layout. The information provided is concise, evidence-based, and easily accessible for quick reference. The book also provides a "key points" section at the end that is useful for quickly finding relevant information regarding medication side effects one might encounter when prescribing psychotropics. The authors recognize that this is not an exhaustive list of adverse effects, and some minor categories could have been included, such as reviewing the data regarding suicidality in the use of antidepressants.
Assessment: This pocket guide stands out, owing to its readily accessible layout and design as a quick reference. It is a great companion for individuals with limited knowledge of the field and/or those who need a quick reference guide to life-threatening side effects of psychotropic medications. For those looking for a more comprehensive discussion regarding this topic, more thorough books are available, such as Managing the Side Effects of Psychotropic Medications, 2nd Edition, Goldberg and Ernst (APA, 2019).

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