title: Efficacy and tolerability of switching to ziprasidone in italian patients with acute exacerbation of schizophrenia: an open-label trial.
abstract: The long-term maintenance of a stable condition is an important aim of schizophrenia therapy, which frequently requires the switch between 2 antipsychotic agents. This 8-week multicenter study, conducted in Italy, evaluates the switch from a previous antipsychotic to ziprasidone.Adult acute schizophrenic patients requiring a change in antipsychotic for lack of efficacy or tolerability issues took ziprasidone 20 - 80 mg/bid. Dosages could be adjusted during the study. The primary efficacy outcomes were the differences in positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) and clinical global impression severity (CGI-S) scores from baseline to study end. Other efficacy variables were clinical global impression improvement, global assessment of functioning, patient preference scale and drug attitude inventory.189 patients were evaluated; the mean (±SD) ziprasidone dose was 95.9±34.5 mg/day. PANSS and CGI-S scores significantly decreased throughout the study. All secondary outcomes significantly improved at the end of the study vs. baseline values. Ziprasidone was well tolerated; 13 patients reported a QTc prolongation (mild in 12 patients).Notwithstanding the limitations of any non-comparative study, these results suggest that ziprasidone may be an effective and well-tolerated option in acute schizophrenia patients who discontinued a previous antipsychotic agent.
authors.affiliation: Fatebenefratelli Hospital, Milan, Italy. claudio.mencacci@gmail.com
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mencacci
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008133:Long QT Syndrome / Q000139:chemically induced; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057240:Patient Preference / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010879:Piperazines / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D010879:Piperazines; D013844:Thiazoles; C092292:ziprasidone