title: Effectiveness and tolerability of aripiprazole in child and adolescent inpatients: a retrospective evaluation.
abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and tolerability of aripiprazole use in child and adolescent psychiatric inpatients. This was a naturalistic, retrospective evaluation of the discharged patients treated with aripiprazole on the child and adolescent unit at the Austin State Hospital. To be included, patients had to be <18 years of age and treated with aripiprazole for at least two consecutive weeks during their hospital stay. We used a chart extracted Clinical Global Impression of Improvement, and a chart extracted Clinical Global Impression of Severity of Illness score to determine their effectiveness. Adverse events and side effects recorded in the physician or nursing notes were collected to establish tolerability. Forty-five patients met the criteria and were included in this analysis. Average clinical global impression of severity of illness scores at baseline and endpoint were 5.04+/-0.91 and 3.33+/-1.24 respectively. This difference was statistically significant (Wilcoxon's signed-rank test: Z=-5.179, P<0.001). Fifty-one percent of the youth had a clinical global impression of severity of illness score that was much improved or very much improved (clinical global impression of improvement score of 1 or 2). Significant reduction in clinical global impression of severity of illness scores suggests a decline in the symptom severity for patients treated with aripiprazole. On the basis of the reported adverse events and side effects, aripiprazole was generally well tolerated. Randomized controlled trials of aripiprazole in childhood mental disorders are warranted.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas at Austin and Austin State Hospital, Office of Medical Director for Behavioral Health (Texas Department of State Health Services), and Seton Shoal Creek Hospital, Texas 78712-0125, USA.
authors.forename: Aaron P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.forename: M Lynn
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Crismon
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Mican
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fischer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000068180:Aripiprazole; D002648:Child; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010879:Piperazines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D015363:Quinolones / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D010879:Piperazines; D015363:Quinolones; D000068180:Aripiprazole