High-dose olanzapine versus standard-dose olanzapine: Effect on all-cause readmission rates in adult psychiatric patients.
High-dose olanzapine associated with longer hospital stays than standard-dose therapy
High-dose olanzapine versus standard-dose olanzapine: Effect on all-cause readmission rates in adult psychiatric patients.
Olanzapine doses in adults with treatment-resistant schizophrenia or treatment-resistant schizoaffective disorder have been compared in a few open-label trials, with higher doses associated with increased symptom improvement.
This single-center, retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate patient factors and outcomes in adult patients admitted to a county psychiatric hospital that received high-dose olanzapine therapy (HD-olanzapine, ≥40 mg/day) compared with standard-dose olanzapine (SD-olanzapine, 5-30 mg/day).
Patients 18 years or older were included if they received at least 5 days of scheduled olanzapine treatment for psychotic symptoms or psychosis while admitted.
high-dose olanzapine meant more than twice as many inpatient days
Subjects on HD-olanzapine (n = 139) and SD-olanzapine regimens (n = 70) were on average 35 years of age, and most were White.
There was no statistical difference regarding 30-day all-cause readmissions, 30-day all-cause emergency-treatment service visits, or average duration of olanzapine therapy.
Constipation was more common in the HD-olanzapine group (8.6% vs 1.4%, P = 0.0418).
DISCUSSION: Although 30-day all-cause readmissions and emergency-treatment service visits were similar between groups, patients who received olanzapine doses of 40 mg/day or greater for at least 5 days of treatment experienced significantly longer average length of stay and more constipation during an admission.