{"title":"Analysis of clozapine prescribing in the over-65s: 5-year retrospective study.","authors":"James Barclay, Rahul Tomar, Tim Gale","doi":"10.1192/bjb.2024.55","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aims and method: </strong>Patients prescribed clozapine are increasingly living into old age. However, there is a lack of studies to guide prescribing in this age group. We sought to identify all clozapine patients in Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust over a 5-year period and review side-effect burden and co-prescribing in all patients aged over 65 years.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We identified 69 patients. The majority (61%) were stable in terms of mental state; 94% of cases had experienced a side-effect within the past year, with constipation occurring most commonly (65% of cases).</p><p><strong>Clinical implications: </strong>Our findings reveal a significant side-effect burden, particularly in relation to constipation. Clozapine-induced gastrointestinal hypomotility (CIGH) can be fatal; however, increasing age has not been a recognised risk factor for constipation in clozapine patients to date. This raises questions about increasing risk to physical health as patients age and adds to concerns about the lack of monitoring for CIGH.</p>","PeriodicalId":8883,"journal":{"name":"BJPsych Bulletin","volume":" ","pages":"1-5"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2000,"publicationDate":"2024-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"BJPsych Bulletin","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1192/bjb.2024.55","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"PSYCHIATRY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Aims and method: Patients prescribed clozapine are increasingly living into old age. However, there is a lack of studies to guide prescribing in this age group. We sought to identify all clozapine patients in Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust over a 5-year period and review side-effect burden and co-prescribing in all patients aged over 65 years.
Results: We identified 69 patients. The majority (61%) were stable in terms of mental state; 94% of cases had experienced a side-effect within the past year, with constipation occurring most commonly (65% of cases).
Clinical implications: Our findings reveal a significant side-effect burden, particularly in relation to constipation. Clozapine-induced gastrointestinal hypomotility (CIGH) can be fatal; however, increasing age has not been a recognised risk factor for constipation in clozapine patients to date. This raises questions about increasing risk to physical health as patients age and adds to concerns about the lack of monitoring for CIGH.
期刊介绍:
BJPsych Bulletin prioritises research, opinion and informed reflection on the state of psychiatry, management of psychiatric services, and education and training in psychiatry. It provides essential reading and practical value to psychiatrists and anyone involved in the management and provision of mental healthcare.