Life-Threatening Effects of Antipsychotic Drugs

"… this book …presents important evidence-based information on side effects of antipsychotic drugs and how to prevent and counteract these. The book is organized in seven parts, all of them dealing with adverse effects of antipsychotic drugs in different organ systems: cardiovascular adverse effects, haematological complications, the digestive system, neurological and neuromuscular, metabolic complications, other life-threatening effects such as interstitial diseases in kidney and lung and, finally, a chapter dealing with clinical and forensic challenges in the use of antipsychotic drugs.

All subjects are treated in a consistent manner, starting with an epidemiological overview, followed by some background regarding pathobiology, continuing over clinical signs to management, ending up with suggestions for prevention of the conditions. The book has a richness of tables and figures facilitating the reading and understanding of the book’s important information and many messages of, e.g. Hazard ratios, odds ratios, clinical algorithms, all making it easily accessible.

… The book is highly relevant to the clinically working psychiatrist, his/her assistants, medical students and other with interest in the interphase between psychiatric illnesses, somatic diseases, their treatment and the always present balance between effect and side effects of treatments." --Mikkel Hojlund, Povl Munk-Jørgensen, Nordic Journal of Psychiatry

This book is an essential reference text for psychiatrists, pathologists and any physician treating a psychiatric patient with a life-threatening condition. It would also be useful to primary care physicians with patients taking antipsychotic medication.