An invaluable guide to psychiatric presentation, diagnosis and treatment in a primary care setting.

Pharmacotherapy is an important part of the treatment of most major psychiatric disorders. Although psychiatric drugs can have immense benefits for patients, adverse syndromes are common, causing significant distress for patients. Some side-effects are potentially life threatening if not detected and treated appropriately. Despite the importance of this subject there is a great shortage of practical advice on this topic. This book will help psychiatrists, GPs, pharmacists and nurses prevent, recognize, and manage adverse syndromes associated with psychiatric drugs. It provides an easily readable account of almost all the adverse syndromes that clinicians will ever encounter. Each section is written by an authority in the area, with each syndrome clearly laid out to include the following information: clinical features; pharmacological basis; differential diagnosis; management; risk factors and prevention. Summary tables are also provided, along with key references for further reading. Clearly written and authoritative, this book will be of enormous practical value to all clinicians managing patients who have been prescribed psychiatric drugs.

Pharmacotherapy is an important part of the treatment of major phychiatric disorders. Although psychiatric drugs can have benefits for patients, adverse syndromes are common, causing distress for patients. This book will help psychiatrists, GPs pharmacists and nurses manage adverse syndromes associated with psychiatric drugs.

"This book has been divided into three main sections. Part I deals with global issues that bear on the assessment and formulation of possible adverse effects and with pertinent concepts related to basic pharmacology, physiology, and medical monitoring. The chapters in Part II present information organized by individual organ systems or specific medical circumstances rather than by drugs or drug classes. This approach seems to provide a logical and comprehensible format that allow readers to search out information as referenced by a particular side effect (and its varied potential causes) and to locate a discussion of practical management strategies. Part III focuses on summary recommendations covering all the material presented in the book and is followed by helpful appendixes on self-assessment questions and resources for practitioners. The book is meant to serve as a ready reference that simultaneously provides scientific and scholarly discussion of available treatment options and presents their scientific rationales."--page xx.

This practical reference examines the advantages and disadvantages of polypharmacy in psychiatry, and provides up-to-date clinical guidelines on the appropriate use of combinations of pharmacological therapy in major psychiatric disorders-including multidisciplinary approaches to treatment, such as social work and psychopharmacology, and an examina

The second revised edition of this text will update and present current state of the art clinical approaches to this subject. This book will continue to be the source text of information on drug-induced movement disorders authored and edited by the pioneers in the field. It will be an invaluable addition to the library of any neurologist.

Many people consider stopping their psychiatric medications, but prescribers may not know how to do this in a collaborative, systematic way. This book describes the ins and outs of how clinicians can work closely with their patients to consider whether or not to try decreasing medications. It outlines the how and when, and gives recommendations on what the prescriber and patient may encounter along the way.

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) and other hyperthermic conditions are rare complications of antipsychotic drugs that can cause discomfort, disability, and even death. As a result, every psychiatrist, physician, and mental health care professional needs to understand and identify these disorders in time to prevent a fatal outcome. Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome and Related Conditions is an important tool for clinicians, outlining a framework for understanding, diagnosing, treating, and preventing these little-understood disorders. This new edition extensively updates and revises the first edition, integrating an explosion of findings that have occurred since the earlier edition was published in 1989. In addition to NMS, chapters focus on antipsychotic drug-related heatstroke, hyperthermia associated with other neuropsychiatric drugs, and malignant catatonia, as well as A new chapter on serotonin syndrome, the first comprehensive review to appear in the world literature. With the proliferation of serotonergic drugs such as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), the incidence of adverse reactions is on the rise, and this information will help practitioners spot early warning signals. Important information on thermoregulatory mechanisms to help clinicians understand the pathogenesis of hyperthermic conditions. With an understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying these conditions, practitioners will develop more effective strategies for recognition, diagnosis, and treatment. Written by four internationally renowned authorities on NMS, Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome and Related Conditions is the most comprehensive resource on the subject in existence. With nearly 850 citations in the reference section, it is a must for researchers -- and for practitioners who need a practical approach based on the most current science.

In this extensively revised and expanded edition of a widely used book, Baldessarini concentrates on providing rational, scientific underpinnings for the treatment of patients. In doing so, he bridges the gap between biology, psychology, and clinical practice. He has enlarged the text to nearly twice its original length and has added sixty-three new tables.

Bringing together treatment and referral advice from existing guidelines, this text aims to improve access to services and recognition of common mental health disorders in adults and provide advice on the principles that need to be adopted to develop appropriate referral and local care pathways.