Τόμος 25 (2007) – Τεύχος 1 – Άρθρο 18 – Επιθεώρηση Κλινικής Φαρμακολογίας και Φαρμακοκινητικής-Ελληνική Έκδοση – Volume 25 (2007) – Issue 1– Article 18 – Epitheorese Klinikes Farmakologias και Farmakokinetikes-Greek Edition

Φαρμακευτική Αγωγή Ψυχογηριατρικών Ασθενών σε Τμήμα Βραχείας Νοσηλείας Ψυχιατρικού Νοσοκομείου

Pharmacotherapy in Psychogeriatric Patients in Acute Ward of a Psychi­atric Hospital

Ελληνικά – Greek

Άρθρο

Article

The main aim of pharmacotherapy in psychogeriatric patients is the improvement of quality of life and the avoidance of hospitalization. Pharma­ceutical side effects, especially extrapyramidal mani­festations, are appearing more often in this population of psychiatric patients. The comorbidity with other chronic diseases is also quite common. The aim of this study was to examine the differences of psychophar­macotherapy in first admissions of geriatric patients (age>60 years) in acute ward of a Psychiatric hospital in different time periods with difference of one decade. The study was conducted in the D’ Acute Ward of the Psychiatric Hospital of Thessaloniki. First admissions during 1993-95 and first admissions during 2003-05 were retrospectively studied. The clinical characteris­tics of the patients and the psychopharmacotherapy were recorded. During the years 1993-95, 51 first ad­missions of psychogeriatric patients were recorded (26 men, 25 women). During 2003-2005 the first admis­sions were 44 (24 men, 20 women). No statistically significant differences in characteristics, such as the reason of admission, the comorbidity and the main psychiatric diagnosis were noted. Concerning the psy­chopharmacotherapy, a reduction in the use of typical antipsychotics (1993-95: 76%, 2003-05:44%) and anti­depressants (1993-95: 24%, 2003-05:7%) during 2003-2005 was observed. An increased use of atypical antipsychotics was also noted during the same period (1993-95: 0%, 2003-05:32%). The results of the study suggest that typical antipsychotics are still the main therapy for psychogeriatric patients admitted in a psy­chiatric hospital. Moreover, in specific groups of these patients, the use of antidepressants has been de­creased.