Clinical Correlates and Description Profiles of Antipsychotic Polypharmacy for Patients with Schizophrenia.
10.4306/jknpa.2014.53.6.370
- Author:
Jinyoung CHOI
1
;
Shi Hyun KANG
;
Jong Il LEE
;
Yujeong HA
;
Hai Joo YOON
;
Eunkyung PARK
;
Dong Yeon PARK
Author Information
1. Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National Hospital, Seoul, Korea. hyperma@korea.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Antipsychotic polypharmacy (APP);
Schizophrenia;
Clinical correlates;
Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS);
Prescription profiles
- MeSH:
Affective Symptoms;
Antipsychotic Agents;
Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale;
Employment;
Humans;
Medical Records;
Polypharmacy*;
Prescriptions;
Psychotropic Drugs;
Schizophrenia*;
Seoul
- From:Journal of Korean Neuropsychiatric Association
2014;53(6):370-378
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVES: Despite increasing use of antipsychotic polypharmacy (APP), few studies have investigated APP for Korean patients with schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to identify the sociodemographic and clinical correlates and recent prescription profiles of APP in schizophrenia patients. METHODS: A total of 297 schizophrenia patients were recruited and interviewed using standardized assessment instruments in Seoul National Hospital. Differences in demographic and clinical characteristics between APP and antipsychotic monopharmacy (APM) groups were analyzed. The prescriptions of psychotropic drugs were collected by a review of medical records. RESULTS: In comparison with the APM group, the APP group showed association with earlier onset, lower employment rate, and higher scores for Clinical Global Impression-Severity and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) (p<0.001). In particular, the BPRS positive (p<0.001) and affective symptom scores (p<0.001) of the APP group were higher those of the APM group. The most frequent combination pattern of APP was second generation antipsychotics (SGA)+SGA, followed by SGA+first generation antipsychotics (FGA), and SGA+SGA+FGA. For antipsychotics, it was risperidone+quetiapine, followed by clozapine+risperidone, risperidone+sulpiride, and risperidone+haloperidol. CONCLUSION: The current study suggests that the usage of APP for schizophrenia could be related to symptom severity affected by positive and affective symptoms. The prescription profile reflects that the proportion of atypical antipsychotics on APP has increased.
