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Early detection of antipsychotic side-effects

South West London & St George's Mental Health Service, Springfield Hospital, 61 Glenburnie Road, London SW17 7DJ;

Tom Burns, Professor of Community Psychiatry

Department of Psychiatry, St George's Hospital, London

^* Correspondence

Aims and methods Staff from five community mental health teams (CMHTs) were trained to use structured rating scales for akathisia, tardive dyskinesia and Parkinsonism. Detection rates of these side-effects were compared for the six months before and after the intervention.

Results Fifty-seven per cent of the target professionals participated, screening 200 (52%) eligible patients. This resulted in significant increases in the recording of all three side-effects as positive but no increase in their formal diagnosis.

Clinical implications Detection rates of these side-effects can be increased to those predicted by research with significant reductions in drug dose and non-adherence and without clinical deterioration.

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				D. Taylor Low dose typical antipsychotics - a brief evaluation Psychiatr. Bull., December 1, 2000; 24(12): 465 - 468. [Full Text]