The lithium test is used to measure and monitor the amount of lithium in the blood so that a healthcare practitioner can determine whether the drug blood concentration is within the range that will adequately treat an individual’s bipolar disorder (therapeutic range).
To measure lithium levels in the blood in order to determine the therapeutic level when just starting lithium medication; to maintain the therapeutic level or to determine lithium toxicity.
Common ailments such as renal dysfunction, dehydration, and electrolyte abnormalities, as well as polypharmacy, contribute to decreased lithium clearance in elderly patients; as such, it is recommended that they be maintained on the lowest therapeutic dose, with a goal serum concentration between 0.4 and 0.8 mmol/L.
