Prescripción de antipsicóticos atípicos en pacientes hospitalizados de la Clínica Psiquiátrica Universitaria

Introduction: During the past few years, several new generation antipsychotic drugs have been incorporated in our country. However, the manner in which these drugs are actually used by our clinicians has been poorly documented until now. This study aims to characterize the prescription pattern of antipsychotic drugs for inpatients at a Chilean psychiatric institution. Methods: We carried out a retrospective study using clinical records of inpatients at the University of Chile Psychiatric Clinic between May and September 2005. We registered every antipsychotic drug used and its dosage for every diagnosis, including whether it was prescribed as permanent or as PRN. Results: During this period there were 246 hospital discharges and some kind of antipsychotic drug was used in 80% of cases. The main diagnoses associated with the use of antipsychotic drugs were schizophrenia, exogenous psychosis and bipolar disorder, but they were also used frequently in other diseases such as eating disorders, personality disorders, and unipolar depression. Atypical antipsychotic drugs were the most frequently used, whether alone or in PRN combination with a neuroleptic drug. Among atypical antipsychotics, the most frequently prescribed were risperidone (41%) and quetiapine (34%). The dosage used was widely different depending on the diagnosis. Conclusion: Antipsychotic drugs, particularly atypical ones, are broadly used in the treatment of inpatients with several psychiatric disorders.