Antipsychotic polytherapy versus antipsychotic monotherapy in patients with schizophrenia and other psychoses

Abstract

Introduction

Antipsychotic therapy is the cornerstone of the treatment of psychotic disorders. Although clinical guidelines recommend the use of antipsychotics in monotherapy, the combination of two or more antipsychotics is a common habit in clinical practice, especially in cases resistant to treatment with one antipsychotic, although there are few controlled trials that support this treatment modality.

Objectives

To analyze the characteristics of antipsychotic therapy in patients admitted to hospitalization with diagnoses of schizophrenia and other psychoses, to determine if there are differences between diagnostic groups.

Material

We analyzed a sample of 241 patients admitted during 2009, 97 women and 144 men, with schizophrenia and other psychoses.

Methods

We designed a protocol of collecting data based on clinical histories of patients, reflecting the gender, age, diagnosis and treatment regimen (monotherapy or combination therapy), and performed a statistical analysis using SPSS.

Results

Of the sample, 40.2% were females and 59.8% were males. The mean age was 39.7 years old.

The diagnosis of schizophrenia was obtained in 60.2% of patients, while the remaining 39.8% were diagnosed with other psychoses (schizoaffective disorder, chronic delusional disorder, schizophreniform disorder, brief psychotic disorder, psychotic disorder not otherwise specified and other.)

The combination therapy was used in 62.2% of patients, while the remaining 37.8% were treated with monotherapy.

Conclusions

Combination therapy is used more often in male patients and in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, while monotherapy is used more in women and patients with other psychoses.