Manía transcultural en UCI

Objective

To present the clinical case of a severe phase of mania suffering from a possible Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS).

Clinical case

16-year-old girl, native of Spain, family of Algerian background. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In the current episode, she begins a psychopathological decompensation after abandoning psychopharmacological treatment. She presents agripnia, irritability, escapes from home, expansive mood, as well as behavioral alterations rejecting any practice of her Islamic culture. Due to all this, she needs an involuntary admission to the hospitalization unit. During this, due to serious behaviors, mechanical and pharmacological restraint is required. Suddenly she begins to develop fever, generalized tremor and increased CPK in blood tests, which led to her transfer to the ICU for observation and intensive treatment due to the possibility of NMS.

Results

After stabilization, discharged was decided with a diagnosis of possible NMS and respiratory infection, with evident clinical improvement.

Conclusions

There are no universal criteria for NMS, the patient presents several typical symptoms but it is not possible to confirm that we are before a NMS in its totality. Socio-cultural aspects modulate psychopathology in a characteristic way.