Neuroleptic dose: a statistical model for analyzing historical trends.
Neuroleptic dosing practices during inpatient treatment of schizophrenia were examined for 1490 admission episodes during 1973 through to 1982 in two wards of a university hospital. Chlorpromazine-equivalent dose levels (CPZE) declined 50% between 1974 and 1980. As expected, length of treatment and choice of drug were both strongly related to CPZE. The general drop in CPZE is not explained by shorter treatment and changing choice of drug, however. Oral fluphenazine, haloperidol, and depot fluphenazine are used to higher maximum levels than chlorpromazine and other neuroleptics, when maximum dose is reached after one week or longer. The results illustrate that by seeking an appropriate statistical model, aggregate trends in dosing practices can be described while avoiding several of the shortcomings of earlier surveys of hospital practice.
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000266:history; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents