A longitudinal record study of renal function in patients treated with lithium

We reviewed hospital charts of 62 patients receiving long-term lithium therapy in an attempt to see if renal function deteriorated in association with lithium treatment. We found no association between duration of lithium treatment of up to four years and change in BUN or creatinine or the development of proteinuria. There was a nonsignificant tendency for cases showing a rise in BUN from index to follow-up to have had a chart record of lithium intoxication, but these same cases tended to have a lower follow-up creatinine. There was a tendency for older patients to have higher BUN and creatinine at follow-up than at index, but there was no association between this and duration of lithium treatment.