title: Trends in psychotropic drug use in a child psychiatric hospital from 1991-1998.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was undertaken to analyze inpatient prescribing patterns of psychotropic drugs in a child psychiatric hospital from 1991-1998.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospital pharmacy dispensing data were reviewed. Total admissions, first admissions, and readmissions were identified, and medication status of all patients at admission and at discharge was ascertained. Patterns of total psychotropic drug use and proportionate use of each drug class (antidepressants, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics stimulants, and alpha-2 antagonists) were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Controlling for the 2.3-fold rise in hospital admissions, there was a 73.0% increase in the use of psychotropic drugs from 1991-1998. The greatest relative increase was in the use of alpha-2 antagonists (from 3.3% to 23.6%). Significant increases were also observed for antidepressants (from 35.6% to 77.3%), mood stabilizers (from 14.9% to 32.6%), and stimulants (from 10.5% to 20.6%). Antipsychotic use showed no net change, although use of atypical agents largely supplanted that of conventional drugs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings document a marked and continuing increase in psychotropic drug use in child psychiatric inpatients during the 1990s. This trend occurred against a background of increased hospital admissions and shorter lengths of stay. Most of the increased use is accounted for by newer agents, even though data supporting their efficacy and safety in this population are limited.
authors.affiliation: Butler Hospital, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown Medical School, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
authors.forename: Fedra
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Najjar
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Welch
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Grapentine
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sachs
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Siniscalchi
authors.forename: Lawrence H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Price
mesh_terms: D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D016208:Databases, Factual / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs