title: [Psychopharmacological treatment of patients in a university department of internal medicine].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Psychotropic drugs are among the most widely prescribed drugs. We aimed to systematically analyze the use of psychotropic drugs among inhospital patients in a large university department of internal medicine.
  
  
  METHODS
  All discharge letters from the Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Jena, Germany, in the year 2010 were retrospectively screened for the use of psychotropic drugs. Metabolic parameters, blood pressure and blood counts were compared to those of a control group; psychiatric diagnoses and consultation of a psychiatrist were noted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data from 2160 patients were examined (54.5% female, 45,5% male). In 371 patients (17.2%, 63.3% female, 36.4% male) the prescription of psychotropic drugs was recorded. The remaining 1789 patients without psychotropic drugs were used as control group. Patients with psychotropic drugs were significantly older (median 69 vs. 61 years) and more frequently female (p < 0.001). The most frequently used drug group were antidepressants. Both obesity (43.3 vs. 32.3%) and cachexia (9.1 vs. 2.8%) were significantly more common in the psychotropic drug group (p < 0.001). There were also more patients with diabetes (p < 0.001), but their HbA1c levels were not different from the control group. In 44.5% of the patients no psychiatric diagnosis was noted, in only 14.5% a psychiatrist had been consulted. Rather frequently (10% of patients) therapy with benzodiazepine receptor agonists or benzodiazepines was mentioned in the discharge letters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The indication for psychotropic drug use could not be reproduced exactly in each case. Psychiatric diagnoses lacked in a substantial part of cases. As to the rest, affective disorders and organic mental disorders were rather frequent indications. Closer interdisciplinary cooperation between internists and psychiatrists is recommended to improve psychotropic drug therapy in older, often multimorbid patients in internal medical wards.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Innere Medizin III, Universitätsklinikum Jena.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nobis
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Jena.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ansorge-Wolf
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Jena.
authors.forename: K-J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Bär
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Innere Medizin III, Universitätsklinikum Jena.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wolf
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015897:Comorbidity; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004363:Drug Utilization; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006748:Hospital Departments / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000187:drug effects; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
vernacular_title: Therapie mit Psychopharmaka bei internistischen Patienten einer Universitätsklinik.