title: [Antipsychotic polypharmacy in a general hospital in-patient psychiatric unit].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The association of antipsychotics is common in clinical practice despite the lack of scientific evidence to support this practice. There are few data on these patterns of use in hospitals in Spain. However, such data are required for the development of indicators of quality of care.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To collect information on prescription of antipsychotics in a psychiatric inpatient unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a retrospective observational study of inpatients under treatment with antipsychotic drugs in 2006.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We reviewed 136 patients with a mean age of 38 years and a mean length of stay of 22 days. Antipsychotics were used primarily in schizophrenic disorder (44.9%). At admission, atypical antipsychotics (second or third generation) were the most frequently used drugs in monotherapy (41.2%), a combination of two or more antipsychotics was used in 43% of the patients and the use of additional medication (not antipsychotics) was very high (84.6%). At discharge, the results were similar, but a notable finding was the increase in the combination of an atypical antipsychotic with extended-release drugs (from 2% to 11%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of atypical antipsychotics as the first therapeutic option is becoming established, confirming the phenomenon of polypharmacy in the treatment of psychoses. The study design did not allow directional relations to be established but some trends, such as the possibility that polypharmacy is more common in patients with schizophrenia and is associated with the use of depot antipsychotics, were confirmed.
authors: Unidad de Psiquiatría, Hospital Royo Villanova, Zaragoza, España.
authors: José Alfonso
authors: JA
authors: Arilla
authors: María Eva
authors: ME
authors: Fernández
authors: Estela
authors: E
authors: Viñuales
authors: Isabel
authors: I
authors: Lozano