When prescribed appropriately, most psychotropic medications are fairly safe. Although some side effects are common and even expected, occasional serious-and even life-threatening-adverse effects may arise that require immediate intervention. The Pocket Guide to Emergent and Serious Adverse Events in Psychopharmacology focuses on the latter. With chapters written by a combination of experts and novices in the field, this guide provides a summary of the extant knowledge of effects that include:

. Acute dystonia. Cardiac emergencies. Discontinuation and withdrawal. Neuroleptic malignant syndrome. Overdose

Designed to be easily referenced, chapters are arranged alphabetically and feature sections on recognition and detection, culprit medications, assessment, management, and follow-up treatment. Concise in format and broad in scope, this reference is particularly useful for psychopharmacology beginners but serves to reinforce for all readers the importance of frequent communication with patients and their families.