Six patients were admitted after erroneous massive intake of levothyroxine (70-1200 mg over an interval of 2-12 days). All patients developed classical symptoms of thyrotoxicosis within 3 days of the first dose; five patients presented grade II-III coma and one became stuporous (days 7-10). Two patients developed left ventricular failure and three had arrhythmias (days 8-11). Total thyroid hormone levels in serum on admission ranged 935-7728 nmol/l for T4 (TT4) and 23-399 nmol/l for T3 (TT3). All patients received treatment with hydrocortisone and Propranolol. Propylthiouracil was also given in 3 cases. Extractive techniques (charcoal haemoperfusion and/or plasmapheresis) were initiated 8-14 days after the first dose of L-T4. The plasma disappearance rate (K) of TT4 with plasmapheresis was 30 times higher, on average, than under standard medical treatment (M). Also, K of TT4 under haemoperfusion was about five times higher than K under M. K changes for TT3 were higher under haemoperfusion than under plasmapheresis. Furthermore, extractive procedures shortened the average half life of TT4, (from 106.5 +/- 44.6 to 59.7 +/- 20.2 h, p less than 0.05).

ObjectiveTo assess sociodemographic, clinical and treatment factors as well as depression outcome in a large representative clinical sample of psychiatric depressive outpatients and to determine if melancholic and atypical depression can be differentiated from residual non-melancholic depressive conditions.Subjects/Materials and MethodA prospective, naturalistic, multicentre, nationwide epidemiological study of 1455 depressive outpatients was undertaken. Severity of depressive symptoms was assessed by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and the Self Rated Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (IDS-SR30). IDS-SR30 defines melancholic and atypical depression according to DSM-IV criteria. Assessments were carried out after 6–8 weeks of antidepressant treatment and after 14–20 weeks of continuation treatment.ResultsMelancholic patients (16.2%) were more severely depressed, had more depressive episodes and shorter episode duration than atypical (24.7%) and non-melancholic patients. Atypical depressive patients showed higher rates of co-morbid anxiety disorders and substance abuse. Melancholic patients showed lower rates of remission.ConclusionOur study supports a different clinical pattern and treatment outcome for melancholic and atypical depression subtypes.

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Recurrent depression is associated with a decrement in health that is significantly greater than in first-episode depression. Special attention needs to be paid to the physical health in the middle- and long-term management of patients with affective disorders.