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Delayed response to abnormal lithium results is no longer necessary

Worcestershire Community Trust and Honorary Senior Lecturer, University of Birmingham, Hill Crest Clinic, Quinney's Lane, Redditch B98 7WG

N. J. Birch, Emeritus Professor of Biomedical Science

University of Wolverhampton

^* Correspondence

A survey of one year's lithium results for a health district of 170 000 disclosed unacceptable delays in checking abnormally high values. Only 17% of moderately elevated levels were rechecked within a week. The problem was most marked with patients monitored in general practice, but one particularly high result in a patient monitored in psychiatric out-patients remained unchecked for over three weeks as a result of poor communication between general practitioner and psychiatrist. A trial of an on-the-spot monitoring service using new technology has simplified procedures and reduced to zero the number of results taking over a week to check.