Hospitalization risks in the treatment of schizophrenia: comparison of antipsychotic medications.
This study used administrative claims data to compare the relative risks for hospitalization among commercially insured patients with schizophrenia receiving atypical and typical antipsychotic drugs. Cox proportional hazard regression estimates, adjusted for differences in patient characteristics, suggested that among patients treated with the 4 atypical antipsychotic drugs, only olanzapine had a significantly higher risk for hospitalization than the typical antipsychotic drugs (hazard ratio [HR], 1.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20-2.75). In addition, risk for hospitalization with olanzapine was significantly higher than that for risperidone (HR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.03-1.74) and numerically higher than that for quetiapine (HR, 1.40; 95% CI, 0.94-2.07). Overall, olanzapine was associated with a higher risk for hospitalization than the typical antipsychotic drugs and among the atypical antipsychotic drugs, risperidone and, potentially, quetiapine.
Gianfrancesco
Frank
F
Hecon Associates Inc., 9833 Whetstone Drive, Montgomery Village, MD 20886, USA. heconassoc@comcast.net
Rajagopalan
Krithika
K
Wang
Ruey-hua
RH
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000145:classification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017723:Drug Utilization Review / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008484:Medicaid / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077152:Olanzapine; D012044:Regression Analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D000077152:Olanzapine