Toxicologic Emergencies in Patients with Mental Illness: When Medications Are No Longer Your Friends.

Patients with psychiatric disorders are at risk for toxicologic emergencies. Psychotropic medications have numerous effects on the neurologic, cardiac, and other organ systems and interact with other medications, potentially leading to further side effects. It is important to become familiar with accepted psychiatric practice guidelines, common toxidromes, medical sequelae associated with prescribed medications, and the specific workup and treatment of overdoses of frequently prescribed psychotropics.