ABSTRACT
Lithium ion is a monovalent alkali metal cation that is chemically similar to other monovalent cations, such as sodium and potassium (1), and that sometimes acts like a divalent cation, such as magnesium and calcium (2,3). Lithium has no known physiologic function and is pre sent only in trace amounts in the body (4). As a metallic ion, lithium is not metabolized (5). The term as used in this chapter refers to the nonprotein-bound lithium ions or lithium salts (6).
