Adjunctive benzodiazepines in acute schizophrenia

An open clinical trial was conducted on an unlocked ward investigating the use of benzodiazepines as adjunctive therapy with neuroleptics in managing acute exacerbation of chronic schizophrenia. Seventeen patients meeting DSM-III criteria for this disorder were treated. Patient response was monitored with use of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and Beigel Mania Rating Scale. Our results indicate that those patients who received greater than 2 mg lorazepam equivalents daily had greater improvement at 4 days of treatment in comparison to those who received less than 2 mg lorazepam equivalents daily.