Prescription Of Psychotropic Drugs Research Articles

The Risk Factors for Asymptomatic Pyuria Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

Background: Diabetic patients often develop urinary tract infections (UTI). Diabetic patients are also likely to develop mental illness, and psychotropic drugs have anticholinergic adverse effects such as urinary disturbance. We aimed to elucidate the risk factors of asymptomatic pyuria in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: We picked up outpatients with type 2 diabetes who visited the Department of Internal Medicine for the first time, from December 2010 to November 2012 for the treatment of diabetes and completed the questionnaire to obtain the medical history. We obtained clinical information from medical records and questionnaires. Urine leukocytes >= 10/high-power field was defined as pyuria. Comparisons such as pyuria group vs. non-pyuria group and non-mental illness group vs. mood disorder group vs. schizophrenia group were performed. Results: One hundred twenty-one patients were eligible. Sixty-nine were males, 52 were females, mean age was 63 years. There were 48 patients who had mental illness. The duration of diabetes was 5.1 years, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was 8.5%. Prevalence of pyuria was 15.7%. Mean age in non-pyuria group was 62.8 years old, and 65.1 years old in pyuria group. Proportion of female (84%) in pyuria group was significantly higher than non-pyuria group. Patients with pyuria significantly more often had mental illness and psychotropic drugs prescription than patients without pyuria. Duration of diabetes in non-pyuria group was 5.3 years and that in pyuria group was 4.0 years. Coefficient of variations of R-R intervals (CVR-R) in electrocardiogram (ECG), an index of autonomic nervous dysfunction, was 3.2% in non-pyuria group and 1.8% in pyuria group. Pyuria group had significantly higher prevalence of autonomic nervous dysfunction. Coexistence of mental illness and lower CVR-R were associated with risk of pyuria in female diabetic patients. Conclusions: In addition to female sex, autonomic neuropathy and mental illness were significant risk factors for pyuria in patients with type 2 diabetes. To elucidate this association, further studies, preferably with larger numbers of subjects, will be needed. J Endocrinol Metab. 2019;9(6):193-198 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jem629

Validation Prognostic of the Baylor Profound Mental Status Examination

Background: There are no validated prognostic instruments to evaluate severe Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients. Objective: To validate the prognostic value of the Baylor Profound Mental Status Examination (BPMSE). Methods: We selected 200 patients with severe AD. The following prognostic variables were collected: hospitalization, use of the emergency room, death, and prescription of drugs. ROC curve analysis was performed to see the overall behavior of the test when predicting the adverse event. We analyzed the AUC ROC and the best cut point was determined, and by using contingency tables, the risk was calculated. Results: For a BPMSE ≥16 points, there was a risk of 1.8 (95% CI 0.9–3.4) of prescription of psychotropic drugs in 12 months. For memantine in 12 months, for a BPMSE ≥16 points, there was a risk of 2.9 (95% CI 1.1–7.2). Emergency room visits, for a BMPSE ≤15 points, showed a risk of 1.7 (95% CI 1–3.2). The risk of hospitalization at 12 months, for a BPMSE ≤15, was 1.4 (95% CI 0.8–2.6). When comparing medians, patients with a higher BPMSE were prescribed more drugs at 12 months. Conclusions: BPMSE has a limited predictive value for the variables studied.

Impact of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) in institutionalized people

Background & aims: The behavioral and psychological symptoms associated with dementia are very disruptive and take on more and more relevance given the problem they pose to the people who suffer from them and their environment. In many cases these symptoms can be the trigger for caregivers to use physical or chemical restraints to alleviate the intrinsic and extrinsic damage they can cause. This work aims to evaluate the appearance of these symptoms, the prescription of psychotropic drugs, and other psychofunctional variables that may be related, such as the cognitive, functional or emotional state, in institutional settings. Methods: The relationship between these variables and age and gender has also been evaluated. The sample consisted of 450 institutionalized elderly people. Results: The data obtained indicate a large percentage of people who present behavioral alterations and an over-prescription of psychotropic drugs. The majority of the sample is made up of women which present moderately severe fall rates, functional levels of dependence, cognitive impairment and emotional states. With regard to the relationships found, age is related to greater consumption of psychotropic drugs and worse gait stability. In terms of gender, women are the most medicated, with the worst cognitive, functional status and worse gait stability. The presence of BPSD is directly related to the consumption of psychotropic drugs and other psychofunctional variables such as greater cognitive impairment, functional dependence or worse mood. Conclusion: It is necessary to design non-pharmacological interventions in institutional settings that influence the analyzed variables to improve people's well-being and quality of life.

Reducing inappropriate psychotropic drug use in nursing home residents with dementia: protocol for participatory action research in a stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial

BackgroundPsychotropic drugs are often prescribed to treat neuropsychiatric symptoms in nursing home residents with dementia, despite having limited efficacy and considerable side effects. To reduce the inappropriate prescribing of these psychotropic drugs, various non-pharmacological, psychosocial, person-centered, or multidisciplinary interventions are advocated. However, existing multidisciplinary interventions have shown variable effects, with limited effectiveness often resulting from suboptimal implementation. We hypothesize that an effective intervention needs to fit the local situation of a nursing home and that support should be offered during implementation.MethodsWe will embed participatory action research within a stepped-wedge cluster randomized controlled trial to study the effects of a tailored intervention and implementation plan to reduce inappropriate psychotropic drug prescribing. Nursing homes will be provided with tailored information about the perceived problems of managing neuropsychiatric symptoms and we will offer coaching support throughout. Alongside the participatory action research, we will perform a process evaluation to examine the quality of the study, the intervention, and the implementation. Our aim is to recruit 600 residents from 16 nursing homes throughout the Netherlands, with measurements taken at baseline, 8 months, and 16 months. Nursing homes will be randomly allocated to an intervention or a deferred intervention group. During each intervention stage, we will provide information about inappropriate psychotropic drug prescribing, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and difficulties in managing neuropsychiatric symptoms through collaboration with each nursing home. After this, a tailored intervention and implementation plan will be written and implemented, guided by a coach. The primary outcome will be the reduction of inappropriate prescribing, as measured by the Appropriate Psychotropic drug use In Dementia index. Secondary outcomes will be the frequency of psychotropic drug use and neuropsychiatric symptoms, plus quality of life. A mixed methods design will be used for the process evaluation. Effects will be assessed using multilevel analyses. The project leader of the nursing home and the coach will complete questionnaires and in-depth interviews.DiscussionWe anticipate that the proposed tailored intervention with coaching will reduce inappropriate psychotropic drug prescribing for nursing home residents with neuropsychiatric symptoms. This study should also provide insights into the barriers to, and facilitators of, implementation.Trial registrationNTR5872, registered on July 2, 2016.

Cannabis use in early adulthood is prospectively associated with prescriptions of antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and antidepressants.

Cannabis is an acknowledged risk factor for some mental disorders, but for others the evidence is inconclusive. Prescribed medicinal drugs can be used as proxies for mental disorders. In this study, we investigate how use of cannabis is prospectively related to prescription of antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, antidepressants, and anxiolytics. Data on cannabis exposure and relevant confounders were obtained from 2,602 individuals in the longitudinal Young in Norway Study, providing survey data from four data collection waves between 1992 and 2006. Data were coupled with information about prescriptions for psychotropic drugs from the Norwegian Prescription Database between 2007 and 2015. Past year cannabis use increased the risk of prescription of antipsychotics (OR=5.56, 95 % CI 1.64 - 18.87), mood stabilizers (OR=5.36, 95 % CI 1.99 - 14.44) and antidepressants (OR=2.10, 95 % CI 1.36 - 3.25), after accounting for sociodemographic variables, conduct problems, additional drug use, mental distress, and prescriptions the year before cannabis use was measured. In this study of young adults from the general population, past year cannabis use was associated with later prescriptions of antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and antidepressants.

P4135Patients with psychiatric disorders have reduced chances of receiving optimal post-arrest cardiovascular management

Abstract Introduction Healthcare disparities between patients with and without a known psychiatric disorder have been documented worldwide. Whether these inequalities also apply to a life-threatening condition such as out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is unknown Purpose We aimed to investigate differences in selected in-hospital cardiovascular procedures following OHCA between patients with and without psychiatric disorders. Methods We identified adult patients with OHCA of presumed cardiac cause admitted to hospital following OHCA (2001–2015). Patients with psychiatric disorders were identified using hospital diagnoses or redeemed prescriptions for psychotropic drugs and studied both as a single group and separately (three subgroups: severe mental illness [SMI], minor psychiatric disorders, patients who redeemed psychotropic drugs). We calculated age- and gender-standardized incidence rates (SIRs), and relative incidence-rate-ratio (IRR), of cardiovascular procedures during admission post-OHCA in patients with and without psychiatric disorders. Differences in 30-day and 1-year survival were assessed by multiple logistic regression in the overall population and among 2-day survivors who received acute coronary angiography (CAG). Results We included 7,288 hospitalized OHCA-patients: 1505 (22.8%) had a psychiatric disorder. Compared with patients without psychiatric disorders, patients with psychiatric disorders had lower SIRs for acute CAG (≤1 days post-OHCA) (IRR 0.51 [95% confidence interval, CI, 0.45–0.57]) (Figure), subacute CAG (2–30 days post-OHCA) (IRR 0.40, [95% CI 0.30–0.52]) and ICD-implantation (IRR 0.67, [95% CI 0.48–0.97]). Lower rates of acute and subacute CAG were still present in subanalyses only including patients with initial shockable rhythm, among those with return of spontaneous circulation upon hospital-arrival and regardless of Charlson score and socioeconomic status. Notably, the difference in CAG-rates between the two groups increased in the recent years. Conversely, we did not detect differences in coronary revascularization (encompassing coronary artery bypass graft and percutaneous coronary intervention) among CAG-patients (IRR 1.11 [95% CI 0.94–1.30]) (Figure). Patients with psychiatric disorders showed lower survival following OHCA, even among 2-day survivors who received acute CAG: odds (OR) of 30-day survival 0.63 (95% CI, 0.48–0.83) and 1-year survival 0.61 (95% CI 0.46–0.81). Conclusions Patients with psychiatric disorders had half the probability of receiving acute and subacute CAG and lower chances of ICD-implantation compared to non-psychiatric patients, but, among CAG-patients, same probability of coronary revascularization. Moreover, their survival was lower irrespective of acute angiographic procedures. Our findings show disparities that demand urgent action considering the large burden of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with psychiatric disorders. Acknowledgement/Funding ESCAPE-NET

Analytical Methods Used for the Detection and Quantification of Benzodiazepines.

The prescription of psychotropic drugs, especially benzodiazepines (BZDs), occupies a preponderant place in the management of mental illnesses. Indeed, the BZDs have been used in different therapeutic areas including insomnia, anxiety, seizure disorders, or general anesthesia. Unfortunately, these drugs are present in the illegal street market, leading to a lot of drug abuse amongst some addicted users, road insecurity, and suicide. Hence, it has become essential to analyze the BZDs drugs in human biological specimens for drug abuse in forensic sciences. The present review provides a summary of sample preparation techniques (solid-phase extraction and Liquid-liquid phase extraction) and the methods for the detection and quantification of BZDs molecules in the commonly used biological specimens over the ten last years which may potentially lead to better and accurate evaluation of the physiological state of a given person. The commonly used methods for the detection and quantification of BZDs include nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), chromatography (GC-MS, HPLC, and TLC), immunoassay (ELISA, RIA, LFA, CEDEA, FPIA, and KIMS), and electroanalytical methods (voltammetry and potentiometry).

Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Patients With and Without Psychiatric Disorders: Differences in Use of Coronary Angiography, Coronary Revascularization, and Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator and Survival.

BackgroundHealthcare disparities for psychiatric patients are common. Whether these inequalities apply to postresuscitation management in out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is unknown. We investigated differences in in‐hospital cardiovascular procedures following OHCA between patients with and without psychiatric disorders.Methods and ResultsUsing the Danish nationwide registries, we identified patients admitted to the hospital following OHCA of presumed cardiac cause (2001‐2015). Psychiatric disorders were identified using hospital diagnoses or redeemed prescriptions for psychotropic drugs. We calculated age‐ and sex‐standardized incidence rates and incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of cardiovascular procedures during post‐OHCA admission in patients with and without psychiatric disorders. Differences in 30‐day and 1‐year survival were assessed by multivariable logistic regression in the overall population and among 2‐day survivors who received acute coronary angiography (CAG). We included 7288 hospitalized patients who had experienced an OHCA: 1661 (22.8%) had a psychiatric disorder. Compared with patients without psychiatric disorders, patients with psychiatric disorders had lower standardized incidence rates for acute CAG (≤1 day post‐OHCA) (IRR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.45–0.57), subacute CAG (2–30 days post‐OHCA) (IRR, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.30–0.52), and implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator implantation (IRR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.48–0.95). Conversely, we did not detect differences in coronary revascularization among patients undergoing CAG (IRR, 1.11; 95% CI, 0.94–1.30). Patients with psychiatric disorders had lower survival even among 2‐day survivors who received acute CAG: (odds ratio of 30‐day survival, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.52–0.91; and 1‐year survival, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.50–0.88).ConclusionsPsychiatric patients had a lower probability of receiving post‐OHCA CAG and implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator implantation compared with nonpsychiatric patients but the same probability of coronary revascularization among patients undergoing CAG. However, their survival was lower irrespective of angiographic procedures.

Changes in Prescription of Psychotropic Drugs After Introduction of Polypharmacy Reduction Policy in Japan Based on a Large-Scale Claims Database.

In Japan, polypharmacy reduction policy, which reduces the reimbursement of medical cost, was introduced to address unnecessary psychotropic polypharmacy. The rule was applied to the prescriptions of three or more anxiolytics or three or more hypnotics in the policy introduced in 2012. The prescriptions of four or more antidepressants or four or more antipsychotics were added to the rule in the policy revised in 2014. Furthermore, the prescriptions of three or more drugs of anxiolytics, hypnotics, antidepressants, or antipsychotics were subject to the reduction criteria of the policy revision in 2016. Benzodiazepine receptor agonists (BZs) are classified both into anxiolytics and hypnotics, and the reduction rule was not applied to the category of BZs before April 2018. This study aimed to examine the effect of the policy on the prescriptions of four drug categories as well as BZs from the point of view of the number of drugs and doses. This was a retrospective observational study using a large-scale Japanese health insurance claims database. Patients who were prescribed at least one psychotropic drug (anxiolytic, hypnotic, antidepressant, or antipsychotic) during the study period (from April 2011 to March 2017) were selected. Segmented regression analysis was used to analyze the proportions of patients with three or more or four or more drugs as well as patients above clinically recommended doses, and the means of the average daily doses by drug category. A total of 312,167 patients were identified as a study population. The proportions of patients with three or more drugs in anxiolytics, hypnotics, antidepressants, and antipsychotics significantly decreased after the introduction or revisions of the policy, but not BZs. The proportions of patients with three or more drugs in March 2017 were 0.9%, 2.0%, 1.2%, 2.4%, and 8.9% in anxiolytics, hypnotics, antidepressants, antipsychotics, and BZs, respectively. The effect of the policy in reducing the proportions of patients above clinically recommended doses was identified in antipsychotics after the revision in 2016, but not identified in the sum of anxiolytics and hypnotics as well as BZs after the revision in 2014, and antidepressants after the revision in 2016. The proportions of monotherapy were increased from April 2011 to March 2017 only for antidepressants (76.9% → 80.8%) and antipsychotics (79.8% → 82.1%), and not changed or decreased for anxiolytics (85.2% → 85.7%), hypnotics (78.6% → 77.6%), sum of anxiolytics and hypnotics (68.1% → 65.7%), BZs (68.0% → 67.3%), and sum of psychotropic drugs (52.1% → 49.9%). The polypharmacy reduction policy reduced the proportions of patients with three or more drugs in four drug categories, but not BZs. Only limited effects were seen for reducing the proportions of patients above clinically recommended doses. The policy was revised in April 2018 again. Further investigation is needed to examine the effect of the revision in 2018.

Psychotropic medication treatment patterns in community-dwelling schizophrenia in China: comparisons between rural and urban areas

BackgroundTo date no study has compared more specifically the psychotropic medication treatment patterns for patients with schizophrenia living in community between rural and urban areas. This study examined the rural-urban differences of the use of psychotropic drugs among community-dwelling individuals with schizophrenia in China.MethodData on 993 community-dwelling patients with schizophrenia (n = 479 in rural area and n = 514 urban area) were collected by interviews during 2013–2014, and 2015–2016 according to the diagnosis of DSM-IV or ICD-10. Data on patients’ socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, prescriptions of psychotropic drugs were collected using a standardized protocol and data acquisition procedure.ResultsMultivariate analyses revealed that in comparison with the rural counterparts, the patients from the urban area were significantly more frequently prescribed antipsychotic polypharmacy, clozapine, and benzodiazepines, but the patients from the rural area had more frequently prescribed anticholinergics.ConclusionsSubstantial variations in psychotropic medication treatment patterns for patients with schizophrenia living in community were found between rural and urban areas in China. Common use of antipsychotic polypharmacy, clozapine and benzodiazepines in urban area, and anticholinergics in rural area need to be further addressed.

The Pharmacoepidemiology of Psychotropic Medication Use in Canadian Children from 2012 to 2016.

Objective: The goal of this study was to characterize the frequency and trends of psychotropic drug prescribing in Canadian children from 2010 to 2016 and to compare these results with a previous study conducted between 2005 and 2009. Methods: Using a national physician panel survey database from IQVIA Canada, aggregated frequencies of written prescriptions and therapeutic indications for antipsychotics, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications (psychostimulants and nonstimulants), and antidepressants were analyzed in children. Changes in frequency of written prescriptions and therapeutic indications are presented using descriptive statistics. Results: Written prescriptions for antipsychotics decreased by 10% from 2010 to 2016, in contrast to a 114% increase in written prescriptions for antipsychotics observed between 2005 and 2009. Written prescriptions for psychostimulants and antidepressants rose by 35% and 27%, respectively, between 2012 and 2016, comparable with previous results. The most common reasons for recommending an antipsychotic were ADHD and conduct disorder, although there appears to be a downward trend for ADHD compared with other conditions. In contrast, the share of written prescriptions for antipsychotics for autism increased 34% over the study period. Within the second-generation antipsychotics, written prescriptions for aripiprazole increased. An increase in the use of guanfacine extended release for ADHD was also observed. Conclusion: Several factors may be involved in stabilization and small decrease in antipsychotic use in recent years, including physician and patient awareness of adverse effects related to antipsychotic use, knowledge implementation strategies advocating short-term and judicious use of antipsychotics in children, and the approval of guanfacine extended release for use in Canada for ADHD in 2013.

Pacific models of mental health service delivery in New Zealand: Part I: What do we know about Pacific mental health in New Zealand? A narrative review.

To update measures of mental disorders and service use in Pacific people living in New Zealand. A narrative review was conducted of available data on the prevalence of mental disorder, psychotropic drug prescribing and service use by Pacific people. The 12-month prevalence of mental disorders in Pacific people was similar to European/Other in 2004. Currently Pacific people report high rates of psychological distress but lower levels of psychiatric disorders. Pacific adults have low rates of drinking but many who drink have a hazardous pattern. While Pacific people previously accessed services less than half the rate of European access, access rates in secondary care are now similar. Pacific people have relatively low rates of psychotropic drug use but these are increasing. There is limited evidence about Pacific people's mental health in New Zealand. Patterns of psychopathology and service use may be different from other ethnic groups. Protective factors in Pacific culture should not be undermined when delivering mental health services.

Clinical Characteristics and Psychotropic Drug Prescription Patterns of Bipolar Disorder Patients with a History of Suicidal Attempts: Findings from the REAP-BD, Korea.

Our study aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics and psychotropic prescription patterns of a history of suicide attempts in South Koreans with bipolar disorder (BD), by using only Korean data from the Research on Asian Psychotropic Prescription Pattern for Bipolar disorder. The patterns of clinical characteristics and psychotropic drug use were compared among 53 patients with a history of suicide attempts and 297 without this history; the potential effects of confounding variables were adjusted with binary logistic analyses for discrete variables and analyses of covariance for continuous variables. After adjusting the effects of age, sex, duration of illness, and enrollment as an outpatient, patients with a history of suicide attempts were characterized by a significantly more prevalent depressive episode, lower prevalent remission state, lower levels of hemoglobin, and more use of antidepressants, anxiolytics, and hypnotics compared to those without lifetime suicide attempt. The inability to plan goal-directed behavior may be an intervening factor in the relationship between suicide attempts and depression in BD. Relatively low hemoglobin levels can be associated with manic episodes in patients with a history of suicide attempts and the use of antidepressants, anxiolytics, or hypnotics can be associated with suicide attempts in BD patients.

PF471 DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IN HODGKIN LYMPHOMA SURVIVORS: A DANISH NATIONWIDE COHORT STUDY OF 896 PATIENTS

Background:Cancer‐related psychological distress may lead to depression and anxiety among survivors. Previous studies point to a high risk among different age groups depending on type and nature of the preceding cancer. Despite the vast majority of patients with Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL) becomes long‐term survivors, the risk of mental health problems in the era of modern combined modality treatments, is not well described.Aims:The first aim of this study was to compare the use of psychotropic drugs (PD); antidepressants, anxiolytics, and antipsychotics as proxies for depression and anxiety among HL patients and a matched background population. The second aim was to analyse PD prescriptions according to time elapsed since inclusion.Methods:All Danish HL patients, including classical and lymphocyte predominant HL, diagnosed in the period 2005–2015 were retrieved from the Danish Lymphoma Registry (LYFO). Patient data were merged with the Danish National Prescription Registry for prescriptions of PD (ATC codes N06a, N05a, and N05b). For each HL index patient, five persons were drawn at random from the Danish population matching on month and year of birth and sex. In addition, persons had to be alive at the date of diagnosis of the index patient and without PD prescriptions before that date.Cumulative incidences of first PD prescription was computed for the entire cohort and stratified on sex and age using the Aalen‐Johansen estimator with deaths before PD prescription as competing risk. The excess risk of PD among the patients compared to the general population was measured by the relative risk (RR) of PD within the first and second year after diagnosis, as well as between two and five years after diagnosis. The RR was estimated by Poisson regression. A multivariable Cox regression model were performed to analyse the impact of various clinical variables on risk of PD prescription.Results:A total of 896 HL patients were included (male:female ratio 1.7, median age 39 years) and follow‐up was 7.5 years. Overall, 204 HL patients (22.8%) received PD at some point after the date of diagnosis compared to 384 persons (8.6%) in the matched cohort. HL patients were more likely to receive PD (HR 3.4, 95% CI 2.8–4.0) compared to the background population (Figure 1). Higher age (HR 1.57, CI 1.07–2.32 for 31–60 year olds and HR 2.26, CI 1.47–3.46 for +61 year olds compared to 18–30 year olds), ECOG performance status ≥1 (HR 1.66, CI 1.21–2.27,), and advanced stage (stage III‐IV) (HR 1.56, CI 1.16–2.12) were associated with PD prescriptions for HL patients. RR of PD prescription was highest within the first year after diagnosis but gradually normalized for patients who did not receive PD in the first years (RR 8.3, P < 0.01 within the first year; RR 5.2, P < 0.01 within the second year; RR 1.1, P = 0.6 between two and five years).Summary/Conclusion:Patients diagnosed with HL face a high risk of depression and anxiety symptoms reflected by an increased use of PD use in the early period after diagnosis. However, few years into survivorship PD prescription rate normalized to that of the background population. Adolescent and young adult HL patients (≤30 years) had lower incidence of PD prescriptions as compared to elderly (≥31 years). Given the high number of PD prescriptions after HL diagnosis, screening for symptoms of depression and anxiety is warranted in the time after diagnosis and first years into survivorship.image

Current Pattern of Psychiatric Comorbidity and Psychotropic Drug Prescription in Child and Adolescent Patients.

Background: In recent years, patterns of the use of psychotropic drugs vary with increasing rates of psychiatric presentation and diagnosis in children and adolescents. Purpose: In this study, we aimed to investigate distributions of current psychiatric symptoms and diagnosis, patterns of the use of psychotropic drugs, and differences according to age and gender in patients presented to a child and adolescent outpatient clinic. Methods: All patients aged between 0 and 18 years presenting to a child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient clinic between November 1, 2017 and November 1, 2018 were included in the study. Files of all patients were examined in detail, and patients’ demographic characteristics, symptoms, psychiatric diagnoses established according to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), psychotropic drugs initiated, and side effect profiles were recorded. Psychiatric symptoms and diagnostic features of the patients were determined, and the differences were investigated according to gender. Clinical characteristics were compared between diagnosed and undiagnosed patients, and between patients with and without drug initiation. Results: Of the 2066 patients, 1298 (62.8%) were male and the mean age was 10.14 ± 4.42 years. The most common symptoms were hyperactivity (23.8%) and inattention (21.6%) in males, inattention (15.1%) and irritability (14.2%) in females, and 79% of the patients received one or more psychiatric diagnoses. The most common psychiatric diagnoses in both genders were attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), specific learning disorder (SLD), and conduct disorder, respectively. Of the patients who received a psychiatric diagnosis, 61.8% were using psychotropic drugs, with the majority of them (71.3%) receiving monotherapy. The most frequently initiated drugs included psychostimulants, antipsychotics, and antidepressants, with 28.7% of the drug user patients receiving multiple drug therapy. Conclusion: Our study indicates that rate of presentation to child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient clinics is increasing, and rates of diagnosis and initiation of psychiatry drugs are high among the presented children. The prevalence of ADHD shows an increase in males and females in our country, and psychiatric polypharmacy has reached significant rates.

Prevalence of Sleep Disturbances in German Nursing Home Residents with Dementia: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study.

Sleep disturbances and insomnia occur frequently in people with dementia and are associated with a number of problems for affected persons, relatives, and carers. Considering the lack of high-quality data especially from Germany, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of sleep disturbances and possible associated factors with in German nursing home residents. Multicenter cross-sectional study. Nursing homes in Northern Germany were randomly selected from nursing home registers and contacted consecutively. All residents with cognitive impairment living in the nursing homes were included. Data collection took place between June and December 2017. In addition to the characteristics of nursing homes, nurses, and residents, sleep disturbances of residents with dementia were assessed using the Sleep Disorder Inventory (SDI). Descriptive statistics were applied for prevalence assessment. A generalized linear mixed model was used to investigate associated factors. 38 nursing homes and 1,187 residents with cognitive impairment were included in the study. Sleep disturbances were reported for 23% of residents with pronounced differences between centers, ranging from 0-85%. The prescription of psychotropic drugs (OR 4.47; 95% CI 3.06-6.43; p < 0.01), residence at a specialized dementia care unit (OR 2.43; 95% CI 1.30-4.53; p < 0.01), and male sex (OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.08-2.25, p < 0.02) were significantly associated with sleep problems. In Germany, prevalence of sleep disturbances in people with dementia is comparable to reports from other countries. Therefore, the development and rigorous evaluation of preferably non-pharmacological interventions is strongly warranted.

Appropriateness of psychotropic drug prescriptions in the elderly: structuring tools based on data extracted from the hospital information system to understand physician practices

BackgroundThe appropriateness of psychotropic prescriptions in the elderly is a major quality-of-care challenge at hospital. Quality indicators have been developed to prevent inappropriate psychotropic prescriptions. We aimed to select and automatically calculate such indicators, from the Bordeaux University Hospital information system, and to analyze the appropriateness of psychotropic prescription practices, in an observational study.MethodsExperts selected indicators of the appropriateness of psychotropic prescriptions in hospitalized elderly patients, according to guidelines from the French High Authority for Health. The indicators were reformulated to focus on psychotropic administrations. The automated calculation of indicators was analyzed by comparing their measure to data collected from a clinical audit. In elderly patients hospitalized between 2014 and 2015, we then analyzed the evolution of the appropriateness of psychotropic prescription practices during hospital stay, using methods of visualization, and described practices by considering patients’ characteristics.ResultsTwo indicators were automated to detect overuse and misuse of psychotropic drugs. Indicators identified frequent inappropriate drug administrations, but practices tended to become more appropriate after quality-of-care improvement actions. In the majority of patients (85%), there was no inappropriate administration of psychotropic drugs during hospital stay; for the remaining 15% with at least one inappropriate administration, physicians tended to limit overuse or misuse during hospital stay. Inappropriate administrations were more frequent in patients suffering from psychiatric disorders, dependence and associated complications or morbidities.ConclusionsThe automated indicators are structuring tools for the development of a drug prescription monitoring system. Inappropriate psychotropic administrations were limited by physicians during hospital stay; some inappropriate prescriptions might be explained by clinical characteristics of patients.

Functional Gastrointestinal Disease in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Retrospective Descriptive Study in a Clinical Sample

Introduction: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental disorders with complex multifactorial etiologies. Medical comorbidities are common in ASD and include functional gastrointestinal disorders (fGID), which are reported in 30–70% of patients. In this research study, we aimed to systematically assess the prevalence of gastrointestinal problems in ASD and describe their clinical correlates.Methods: In this retrospective study, we reviewed the medical records of all patients admitted to the Comprehensive Medical Program for ASD (AMITEA) at Gregorio Marañón University General Hospital from January 2012 to December 2015. All patients fulfilled the clinical criteria for ASD (DSM-IV-TR). In addition to fGID, epidemiological and clinical variables were collected at intake. Clinical and demographic features were compared among subjects with and without comorbid gastrointestinal problems.Results: The analyses included all patients with documented information about presence/absence of fGID (n = 845; 95% of patients). Ages ranged from 1 to 53 years (mean = 10.52; SD = 8.92; 80.4% males). At least one fGID was present in 30.5% of patients, constipation being the most prevalent (47.4% of fGID patients); fGID were significantly associated with intellectual disability (ID) (p = 0.017), sleep disorders (p = 0.012), and prescription of psychopharmacological treatment (p = 0.019).Conclusions: Almost one-third of ASD patients in our sample had at least one fGID. The presence of fGID was associated with ID, sleep problems and with behavioral problems (as measured by the prescription of psychotropic drugs). This subsample of ASD patients with fGID deserves particular attention in future research projects, focusing on specific phenotypic characteristics and overlapping biological markers that may underlie both pathologies.

Effects on staff outcomes from an intervention for management of neuropsychiatric symptoms in residents of young-onset dementia care units: A cluster randomised controlled trial

BackgroundNeuropsychiatric symptoms are common in nursing home residents with young-onset dementia and burdensome for nursing staff. It is known that neuropsychiatric symptoms are associated with burn-out complaints and low job satisfaction. An intervention aimed at decreasing neuropsychiatric symptoms in nursing home residents with young-onset dementia might also result in less burnout complaints and job demands and improve job satisfaction in nursing staff. ObjectivesThe aim was to evaluate the effect of the intervention on nursing staff burnout, job satisfaction and job demands. DesignCluster randomised controlled trial using a stepped wedge design with a total duration of 18 months, with four assessments. SettingThirteen young-onset dementia special care units across the Netherlands were, by means of random allocation software, assigned to three groups crossing over at different time points. ParticipantsAll nursing staff, in total 391, were invited to participate. 305 nursing staff participated during the course of the study of whom 71 participated in all assessments. InterventionAn educational program followed by a structured multidisciplinary care program aimed at the management of neuropsychiatric symptoms. The care program consists of evaluation of psychotropic drug prescription followed by detection, analysis, treatment and evaluation of treatment of neuropsychiatric symptoms. MethodsEmotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and personal accomplishment were assessed with the Utrecht Burnout Scale. Job satisfaction and job demands were assessed with subscales of the Leiden Quality of Work Questionnaire. ResultsThe baseline burnout risk on emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment was average, and low on depersonalisation. The mean scores for job satisfaction were above average and for job demands average. Linear mixed models showed that the intervention had no effect on emotional exhaustion (estimated effect −0.04, 95% confidence interval −1.25 to 1.16), depersonalisation (estimated effect 0.24, 95% confidence interval −0.26 to 0.74), personal accomplishment (estimated effect −0.82, 95% confidence interval −1.86 to 0.22) job satisfaction (estimated effect −0.40, 95% confidence interval −0.98 to 0.17) and job demands (estimated effect −0.04, 95% confidence interval −0.57 to 0.49). A significant difference was found between registered nurses and other nursing staff on emotional exhaustion and job satisfaction. Compared to other staff members, registered nurses’ emotional exhaustion scores slightly increased while job satisfaction slightly decreased when using the intervention. ConclusionThe intervention was not effective on three dimensions of burnout, job satisfaction and job demands. Staff scored positive on the outcomes of interest before implementation of the intervention, leaving little opportunity for improvement.

Psychotropic drug use in residents with dementia living in small-scaled special care facilities; a longitudinal study

Objectives: Over the past decade, a trend has been noticed in the Netherlands to replace large-scaled special care units (SCUs) caring for 20–30 residents with dementia by small-scaled SCUs caring for up to 8 residents. Systematic evaluations, however, have yielded a differentiated picture of the effects. As the impact on psychotropic drug use has hardly been addressed thus far, we examined the (potential) impact of psychotropic drug use when moving residents with dementia from large-scaled to small-scaled SCUs.Methods: We conducted a non-randomized, controlled study with a six-month follow-up. Among 145 residents with dementia living a large-scaled SCUs for dementia caring for 20–30 residents per unit, a total of 77 residents were moved to small-scaled SCUs caring for up to 8 residents per unit. Psychotropic drug use, classified according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification (ATC) system was monitored at 2 months before replacement, as well as at 3 and 6 months thereafter. Repeated measures ANOVAs were conducted for the mean Defined Daily Doses (DDDs) of both groups.Results: No significant differences between both groups in psychotropic medication use were found over a period of 8 months.Conclusion: Prescription of psychotropic drugs does not change after a transfer from a large-scaled SCU to a small-scaled SCU of patients with moderate to severe dementia.Current Controlled Trials: ISRCTN11151241.