Combined treatment with amisulpride in patients with schizophrenia discharged from a short-term hospitalization unit: a 1-year retrospective study.
OBJECTIVE
Antipsychotic monotherapy is considered as the reference standard in the pharmacological treatment of schizophrenia. Nonetheless, there is a large rate of studies showing polypharmacy with antipsychotics as more frequent than would be expected attending experts' recommendations. The objective of this study is to describe polypharmacy with antipsychotic regimen in patients with schizophrenia discharged with amisulpride from the short-term hospitalization unit.


METHODS
We have analyzed the prescription of psychotropic drugs upon discharge of 52 patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who were discharged with amisulpride from January to December 2005. Variables were included to describe the following treatments: antipsychotic (drug and dose), benzodiazepine, and anticholinergic drugs. Sociodemographic and clinical variables were also collected.


RESULTS
In the group treated with 2 antipsychotics, the most frequently used common combination was with a classic antipsychotic in depot formulation. Patients (17.5%) were prescribed to another 2 antipsychotics in addition to amisulpride, being the most common combination with a second generation antipsychotic, and a classic or depot antipsychotic.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of our study show that the use of amisulpride as an adjuvant can be a suitable therapeutic strategy for patients with schizophrenia resistant to treatment and for the rapid control of symptoms in schizophrenic patients with acute episodes. However, its clinical use does not have to be reserved exclusively for patients with resistant schizophrenia to clozapine.
Molina
Juan D
JD
Doctor R. Lafora Psychiatric Hospital, Madrid, Spain. candrader@medynet.com
Lerma-Carrillo
Iván
I
Leonor
Marta
M
Pascual
Fernando
F
Blasco-Fontecilla
Hilario
H
González-Parra
Silvia
S
López-Muñoz
Francisco
F
Alamo
Cecilio
C
D000328:Adult; D000077582:Amisulpride; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018680:Cholinergic Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013469:Sulpiride / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D018680:Cholinergic Antagonists; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D013469:Sulpiride; D000077582:Amisulpride