title: Normalization of the dexamethasone suppression test at discharge from hospital. Its prognostic value.
abstract: Fourteen patients with RDC diagnosis of primary, endogenous, major depressive disorder were studied in an inpatient setting. All were non-suppressors on the Dexamethasone Suppression Test on admission to hospital and were retested at discharge. Over 70% of patients continued to be non-suppressors at discharge, when in clinical remission. Four out of 14 patients converted to normal suppression. All 10 of the non-normalizers did poorly on follow-up: 3 patients committed suicide. All normalizers did well. Non-normalization of the DST at discharge from hospitalization may be more common than previously suspected and predicts poor clinical outcome.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003907:Dexamethasone; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010351:Patient Discharge; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D003907:Dexamethasone