Home › Cheat Sheets › Pharmacological Therapies

Lithium Toxicity — NCLEX Cheat Sheet

Toxic > 1.5 mEq/L

🔖 Save

👤 By the CinnaRN Clinical Content Team 🕐 Updated 2026-07-11 🏷️ Pharmacological Therapies 🔖 Free to read, print, and share

💡

Use this quick-reference guide to spot, treat, and prevent Lithium Toxicity on the NCLEX. Keep it handy during review and on exam day!

🩺

🧪

Labs

Key numbers

Therapeutic 0.6-1.2 mEq/L
Toxic > 1.5; severe > 2.0
Narrow therapeutic window

🩺

Signs

What to look for

Early: N/V, tremor, diarrhea
Late: ataxia, slurred speech, seizures
Confusion, coarse tremor

🎓

Teach

Teaching points

Steady salt + fluid intake
↓Na or dehydration → ↑Li
Avoid NSAIDs, thiazides

✅

Do

Nursing actions

Hold dose, draw level
Severe → hemodialysis

✨

Quick Tip

Therapeutic lithium level is about 0.6-1.2 mEq/L; toxicity begins above 1.5 mEq/L and is severe above 2.0 mEq/L.

📖 Related Topics

Digoxin Toxicity Heparin Therapy Warfarin Therapy Acetaminophen Poisoning in Children

Was this helpful? ✎ Suggest an edit

Master Lithium Toxicity with practice, not just reading

4,700+ NCLEX-style questions with rationales, 51 interactive NGN cases, and an AI tutor — free every day, no card needed.

Practice Pharmacological Therapies questions free →

Related Pharmacological Therapies cheat sheets

Digoxin ToxicityDig level > 2.0 ng/mL Heparin TherapyMonitor aPTT, antidote protamine Warfarin TherapyMonitor INR, antidote vit K Acetaminophen Poisoning in ChildrenAntidote = N-acetylcysteine Serotonin SyndromeToo much serotonin = hyperthermia Neuroleptic Malignant SyndromeAntipsychotic emergency: lead-pipe rigidity Tardive DyskinesiaLate involuntary movements, often irreversible Coagulation Studies (PT/INR/aPTT)Warfarin → INR; Heparin → aPTT