Serotonin Syndrome: Clinical Findings, Diagnosis, Management

Abstract

The serotonin syndrome is a relatively infrequent clinical entity, but can have potentially lethal consequences. The spectrum of manifestations is highly variable, ranging from mild diarrhea to tremor and mental status changes, autonomic hyperactivity, hyperthermia and clonic contractions. Eighty-five percent of physicians are not familiar with the characteristics of the syndrome. We propose to briefly review its epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, diagnostic criteria and therapeutic, emphasizing practical aspects of clinical performance.