Pediatric Psychopharmacology: A Practical Guide

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This book will provide up-to-date practical information in a form that is readily accessible and clinically relevant. It will be distinguished from other resources available by innovative use of graphics to convey data such as drug mechanisms and class differences. Also distinguishing it will be the use of clinical examples to demonstrate the nuanced treatment approaches of master clinicians in the field. Section One will focus on essential information for clinicians prescribing any psychotropic medication. Several significant clinical and forensic areas will be covered. First, the necessary components of a thorough psychopharmacologic evaluation will be outlined. Second, legal matters salient for psychotropic prescribing will be addressed, including the important issue of off-label prescribing. Third will be a section dealing with communicating with parents regarding medications, including practical tips for administering and monitoring doses. Finally, a discussion of suicidality will include the evaluation of the suicidal patient as well as a thoughtful approach to the timely issue of suicidality and psychotropic medications, including an approach to the new FDA black box warnings. Section Two will detail each of the commonly prescribed psychotropic medications. Emphasis will be placed on practical clinical issues such as dosing (starting dose, titration schedule, maximum dose), side effects, recommended monitoring schedule (e.g., vital signs, labs, ECGs, drug levels), and common drug interactions. This section will feature use of creative graphical displays to make dense material easily accessible. Photographs of medications will contribute an additional dimension to this section. Section Three will discuss the psychopharmacologic treatment of each of the major classes of disorders. For each disorder, the current data and practice recommendations will be presented. Case examples and clinical pearls will make the material salient and will help convey the treatment approaches of master clinicians who approach complex patients with both rigor and creativity. The book will be targeted to clinicians treating children with psychiatric disorders, including child and adolescent psychiatrists, pediatricians, family physicians, and pediatric neurologists, as well as residents in these fields, and medical students. Other target audience members include other mental health practitioners including psychologists and social workers that treat patients on psychotropic medications, and psychiatric nurses who may prescribe or monitor medications. Emergency room physicians may encounter children taking psychiatric medications and would benefit from an accessible source of information. Additionally, although the book will be targeted toward health care practitioners, the parents and teachers of children with psychiatric disorders may find this book a useful reference.