Serotonin Syndrome

Remember the case of Libby Zion? If you don't, then be certain to read "A Mix of Medicines That Can Be Lethal" published in the New York Times. From the article:

In March 2005, two such specialists, Dr. Edward W. Boyer and Dr. Michael Shannon of Children’s Hospital Boston, noted that more than 85 percent of doctors were “unaware of the serotonin syndrome as a clinical diagnosis.”

In their review in The New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Boyer and Dr. Shannon cited a report based on calls to poison control centers around the country in 2002 showing 7,349 cases of serotonin toxicity and 93 deaths. (In 2005, the last year for which statistics are available, 118 deaths were reported.)

The experts fear that failure to recognize serotonin syndrome in its mild or early stages can result in improper treatment and an abrupt worsening of the condition, leading to severe illness or death. Even more important, in hopes of preventing it, they want doctors — and patients — to know just what drugs and drug combinations can cause serotonin poisoning.

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