Use of psychotropic medication in seven English psychiatric intensive care units
Open Access
- 1 April 2010
- journal article
- Published by Cambridge University Press (CUP) in The Psychiatrist
- Vol. 34 (4), 130-135
- https://doi.org/10.1192/pb.bp.108.023762
Abstract
Aims and methodTo describe the psychotropic medication given to 332 patients admitted consecutively to seven English psychiatric intensive care units (PICUs) by prospective, multicentre case-note analysis.ResultsOverall, 104 (32%) patients received rapid tranquillisation or zuclopenthixol acetate by intramuscular injection; 72 (23%) received more than one regular antipsychotic drug simultaneously. It was reported that 20 patients received high-dose antipsychotic medication, which was probably an underestimate. The use of these interventions varied significantly between different units.Clinical implicationsPotentially risky treatments such as forcible intramuscular medication are a standard part of PICU activity. Further work is needed to clarify the reasons behind the differences in prescribing practices between different PICUs.Keywords
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