Atypical antipsychotics in bipolar and schizoaffective disorders

No data are available comparing the relative efficacy of different atypical agents in patients with bipolar disorder. A chart review of bipolar and schizoaffective disorder patients who had received courses of at least two atypical agents (n = 33) in a community psychiatry system was conducted. No differences in rates of hospitalizations were found between individual atypical agents or between atypical agents as a class and conventional neuroleptics. However, a significant reduction in rates of emergency room visits was found with atypical agents compared to conventional neuroleptics, with a trend toward greater reduction with clozapine compared to other atypical antipsychotics. Larger prospective studies are needed to confirm these preliminary observations.