Pharmacotherapy of the hospitalized young adult schizophrenic patient

The authors surveyed pharmacotherapy in a group of hospitalized 18 to 35-year-old young adult patients (N = 286) with a DSM-III diagnosis of schizophrenia. Drug use comparisons were made between patients with a 180 day or less hospitalization (short-stay, N = 226) and those with a 366+ day hospitalization (long-stay, N = 60). Psychotropic drug usage during the initial 180 and most-recent 180 days of treatment of the long-stay group was compared with the total episode of the short-stay group. Antiepileptic, antidepressant, lithium and anxiolytic/sedative/hypnotic agents, were used in significantly more of the long-stay than short-stay patients. This increase was not observed between the two groups for the initial 180 days of the long-stay group but was observed during the most recent 180 days of treatment. Antipsychotic mean daily doses and patterns of use in the two length of stay groups were similar. Chlorpromazine (CPZ) dosage was significantly increased in long-stay patients compared with short-stay patients (P less than .05).