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De: PR Newswire
Brasil
Para: THERESA CATHARINA DE GÓES CAMPOS
Assunto: Optimized Use of Atypical
Antipsychotics Associated With Equal Efficacy
and Brief Hospital Stays in Patients With Acute
Psychosis
13 de junho de 2006 12:29 HORALOCAL
Optimized Use of Atypical Antipsychotics
Associated With Equal
Efficacy and Brief Hospital Stays in Patients
With Acute Psychosis
VICTORIA, Australia, June 13 /PRNewswire/ -- A
new study
published by physicians from the Mental Health
Research Institute and
Monash University of Victoria, Australia, showed
that all atypical
antipsychotics studied were equally efficacious
when used at optimal
doses as primary medication for inpatients with
acute psychosis.(1)
They were associated with remarkably brief
hospital stays. This
hospital-based study adds to the clinical
evidence regarding patient
response patterns to the best treatment
approaches of acute psychosis
in real-life clinical practice.
The study published in the International Journal
of Psychiatry in
Clinical Practice also found that patients
treated with the atypical
antipsychotics quetiapine, risperidone or
olanzapine as primary
treatment, in addition to adjunctive medications,
showed a similar
time to efficacy (mean time to efficacy was
11.2, 10.2 and 11.2 days,
respectively).(1) The mean doses of atypical
antipsychotics used were
567 mg quetiapine, 4.1 mg risperidone or 22.5 mg
olanzapine.
Overall, hospital stays for these patients were
remarkably brief
despite their initial severe psychopathological
disturbances.
Patients treated with quetiapine, risperidone
and olanzapine were
discharged from hospital in just over two weeks
(means of 17.0, 16.7
and 15.8 days, respectively). All medication
schedules were
associated with good tolerability and no serious
side effects were
seen. Patients receiving quetiapine required
significantly less
benzodiazepines as co-medication compared to
patients receiving
risperidone or olanzapine.
Lead investigator Professor Nicholas Keks,
Mental Health Hospital
Research Institute of Victoria, Australia,
commented: "Acute
psychosis is a severe mental condition that
greatly disturbs the life
of affected individuals and their families. The
most important aim of
therapy is to alleviate symptoms rapidly and,
using medication
optimally, to facilitate return to community
care. The atypical
antipsychotics studied clearly help to achieve a
return to normal
life for these patients."
This study also examined a more rapid titration
schedule of the
atypical antipsychotic quetiapine (n = 32) than
the current approved
prescribing information. Most patients responded
well to the
accelerated titration, which started at 150-400
mg of quetiapine on
day one and increased to higher doses in the
course of treatment.
Prof Keks added: "Clinical guidelines are very
important. However, it
is even more important to fine-tune the therapy
approach to the
individual to achieve the optimal treatment
outcome, especially in
acute psychosis. Some patients seem to respond
well to higher doses
of atypicals or faster titration of quetiapine
although larger studies
are necessary to support our findings."
Acute mental illness causes a significant strain
on the healthcare
and societal resources. Acute psychosis can
appear suddenly in
untreated individuals with schizophrenia, or
schizophrenia-spectrum
disorders, but also people suffering from
bipolar disorder or major
depression. It is estimated that approximately
one percent of the
population are affected by schizophrenia,(2)
four percent by
schizophrenia-spectrum disorders,(3) three to
four percent by bipolar
disorder(4) and six percent by major depression(5).
The retrospective, naturalistic study conducted
by Professor Nicholas
Keks and colleagues over a period of 12 months
at Box Hill Hospital
acute psychiatric care unit during 2001 included
137 inpatients who
were prescribed atypical antipsychotics as
first-line treatment for
their acute psychosis. In total, 37 patients
received quetiapine, 38
risperidone and 56 olanzapine in addition to
other medications.
Treatment protocols were developed from
published guidelines.
The study was funded by the Mental Health
Research Institute of
Victoria.
References:
1) Keks N, Tonso M, Tabone K, et al. Clinical
experience with
atypical antipsychotics in an acute inpatient
unit: focus on
quetiapine. Int J Psychiatry Clin Practice
2006;10(2):138-41.
2) Suppina AL, Patten SB. Self-reported
diagnoses of schizophrenia
and psychotic disorders may be valuable for
monitoring and
surveillance. Can J Psychiatry 2006;51(4):256-9.
3) Mattia JI, Zimmerman M. Epidemiology. In
Livesley WJ, ed. The
handbook of personality disorders. New York, NY:
The Guilford Press,
2001; 107-23.
4) Hirschfeld RMA, Calabrese JR, Weissman MM, et
al. Screening for
bipolar disorder in the community. J Clin
Psychiatry 2003;64:53-9.
5) Wittchen ES, Jacobi F. Size and burden of
mental disorders in
Europe - a critical review and appraisal of 27
studies. Eur
Neuropsychopharmacology 2005;15:357-76.
SOURCE Mental Health Research Institute and
Monash University
06/13/2006
CONTACT: Professor Nicholas Keks,
+61-418-559-341; or Mr Ross
Johnson, Media Communications Office,
+61-393-881-633
BNED: NG
FONTE: PR NEWSWIRE LATIN AMERICA
CORAL GABLES - MIAMI-US
CONTATOS: USA-MARY D'LEON
BRASIL-NÉLIA GARCIA
TELS: USA:1-305-507-2550/BRASIL:55-21-2132-8461
FAXES: USA:1-305-461-8670/BRASIL:55-21-2132-8469
E-MAILS: nelia_garcia@prnewswire.com.br
mary_dleon@prnewswire.com
PALAVRA-CHAVE: RJ
PALAVRA-CHAVE/RAMO DE ATIVIDADE: SAÚDE
PALAVRA-CHAVE/EMPRESA: MENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH
INSTITUTE
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