Affective Symptoms ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Female ; Fluoxetine ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; MELAS Syndrome ; complications ; psychology ; Middle Aged ; Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors ; therapeutic use ; Stroke ; complications ; psychology

Objectives: Patients with schizophrenia are more likely to die prematurely than the general population. They have a higher risk of cardiovascular related morbidity and mortality. Antipsychotic medications are also known to be associated with the prolongation of the rate-corrected QT (QTc) interval, which is linked to dangerous arrhythmias. The primary objective of our study is to investigate the practice of electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring for patients with schizophrenia who were hospitalised. The secondary objective is to evaluate the prevalence of QTc prolongation in this group of patients. Methods: We included patients with schizophrenia who were discharged from the acute general adult psychiatric wards of the Institute of Mental Health in Singapore from 1 July 2014 to 21 July 2014. A retrospective analysis of the medical records was carried out to assess if they had received ECG during their hospitalisation. We also analysed their risk of developing QTc prolongation. Results: We had a sample size of 107 patients. There were 31 patients (29·0%) who received ECG during their hospitalisation. Of the 95 patients who had moderate-to-high risk of developing QTc prolongation, 29 of them received ECG. Of the 31 patients who received ECG, 10 of them (32·3%) had QTc prolongation. Conclusion: The ECG monitoring in the study patients was inadequate, and as a result, we were unable to evaluate the prevalence of prolonged QTc interval with confidence. We recommend performing baseline ECGs for these patients and conducting ECG teachings for clinicians who work in the psychiatric service settings. ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 17 (2): July – December 2016: XX XX.

The transition from child mental health services to adult mental health services can be challenging for patients. Transition is a critical aspect of continuity of care but little is known of the profile of the patients who makes such transitions and their unique characteristics, which could place special demands on subsequent mental health services. The Adult Neurodevelopmental Service at the Institute of Mental Health, Singapore is the first integrated service for adults with neurodevelopmental disorders and psychiatric co-morbidities in Southeast Asia. This audit aims to analyse the profile and characteristics of patients who have made this transition to ensure that the service addresses their specific needs. Methods: The electronic records of 50 patients who were seen in 2015 were analysed in relation to socio-demographics, diagnosis and psychiatric co morbidities, pharmacotherapy, functioning and illness severity scores. Results: All patients except 3(6%) were seen as outpatients. 41(82%) of whom were male and 9(18%) female with the mean age of 21.1 years (SD±2.68). 32(64%) had autistic spectrum disorder, 28(56%) had intellectual disability and 8(16%) had attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Co morbid psychiatric disorders included anxiety disorders (16%), mood disorders (14%), psychotic disorders(8%), and obsessive-compulsive disorders(8%). Risperidone and fluoxetine were the most commonly used antipsychotics and antidepressants respectively. The mean initial clinical global impression score was 4.05(SD±0.87) ± 0.87), and the mean global assessment scale was 53.78(SD±9.42) in patients who were scored. Conclusion: Patients in transition from a child to adult mental health services are a complex and vulnerable group which requires services adapted to their unique needs. Analysing the profile of these patients is critical in evolving the service to meet the needs of this group of young patients to achieve an ideal level of care. ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 18 (1): January – June 2017: XX XX.