A Vishal
Government Medical College Nizamabad, India
Title: Outcomes in patients with first episode Schizophrenia treated with long-acting antipsychotic injections
Biography
Biography: A Vishal
Abstract
Objectives: To compare the clinical efficacy of the long-acting injectable antipsychotics with the oral antipsychotics in the first episode of schizophrenia. Background: Noncompliance is a major problem for patients with first episode schizophrenia. Long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAI APs) should offer better efficacy and tolerability, compared to oral antipsychotics due to improved adherence and more stable pharmacokinetics. LAI APs have proved effective in first episode schizophrenia because they assure stable blood levels, leading to a reduction of the risk of relapse. Methods: Parameters were assessed at baseline and at three month intervals for two years in patients initiated on long-acting injection (LAI) (n=673) or a new oral antipsychotics (AP) (n=139 on risperidone and olanzapine) in Nizamabad. Hospitalization prior to therapy was assessed by a retrospective chart review. Results: At two years treatment retention and reduction in Clinical Global Impression Severity scores were significantly higher with LAI. Compared to the pre-switch period, LAI Aps patients had greater reductions in the number of hospitalizations at two years than oral AP patients. Conclusions: This study showed that, compared to oral antipsychotics, LAI APs was associated with better treatment retention, greater improvement in clinical symptoms and functioning, and greater reduction in hospital stays and days in hospital in patients with first episode schizophrenia.