Increased use of antibiotics in clozapine-treated patients

Int Clin Psychopharmacol. 2003 Sep;18(5):297-8. doi: 10.1097/00004850-200309000-00007.

Abstract

A retrospective chart review of hospitalized patients was completed to verify whether there were differences in the prescription rate of antibiotics to patients treated with clozapine. Subjects were inpatients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Charts of all patients who received clozapine for 24 consecutive months during a period of 48 consecutive months of hospitalization were selected for the study. For each patient, we compared the number of infections treated with an antibiotic during the 24 months pre-clozapine versus the period when they were treated with clozapine. Our study suggests that the number of antibiotic prescriptions is significantly increased in patients treated with clozapine.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Antipsychotic Agents / adverse effects*
  • Antipsychotic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Bacterial Infections / drug therapy
  • Bacterial Infections / etiology
  • Clozapine / adverse effects*
  • Clozapine / therapeutic use
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Medical Records / statistics & numerical data
  • Middle Aged
  • Practice Patterns, Physicians' / statistics & numerical data*
  • Retrospective Studies

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Antipsychotic Agents
  • Clozapine