Antipsychotic Polypharmacy in the Treatment of Patients with Related Psychoses at a University Hospital.
- Author:
Jhin Goo CHANG
1
;
Daeyoung ROH
;
Suk Kyoon AN
;
Hyun Sang CHO
;
Chan Hyung KIM
Author Information
1. Yonsei University College of Medicine, Severence Mental Health Hospital, Gwangju, Korea. spr88@yuhs.ac
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Psychosis;
Antipsychotics;
Polypharmacy;
Combination
- MeSH:
Antipsychotic Agents;
Dibenzothiazepines;
Humans;
Korea;
Logistic Models;
Medical Records;
Mental Health;
Polypharmacy;
Prevalence;
Psychotic Disorders;
Risperidone;
Schizophrenia;
Schizophrenia, Paranoid;
Quetiapine Fumarate
- From:Korean Journal of Psychopharmacology
2013;24(2):69-75
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE: The practice of antipsychotic polypharmacy is common, despite lack of supporting evidence. The aims of this study were to estimate the prevalence of antipsychotic polypharmacy in a psychiatric university hospital in Korea and find out the clinical factors associated with antipsychotic polypharmacy. METHODS: We reviewed medical records of the patients discharged from Severance Mental Health Hospital (SMH) for the period of 1, January to 31, December 2010. Patients should be diagnosed as having schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, schizophreniform disorder, brief psychotic disorder, delusional disorder or psychotic disorder not otherwise specified. RESULTS: In 2010, 260 patients in SMH were prescribed with antipsychotics and 47.3% (n=123) of them were discharged under antipsychotic polypharmacy treatment. The most commonly prescribed antipsychotics for combination therapy was quetiapine (n=64). The most prevalent combination of drugs was risperidone plus quetiapine (n=20). Logistic regression analysis showed that the use of high-dose antipsychotics, first-generation antipsychotics, and long hospital duration were significantly associated with antipsychotic polypharmacy. CONCLUSION: Although the controlled evidence for efficacy and safety as a strategy remains inconclusive, antipsychotic polypharmacy is a common pharmacological strategy as it is illustrated in our study. Considering high antipsychotic doses related with antipsychotic polypharmacy, careful monitoring of side effect and efficacy is needed.
