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Lorazepam and diazepam rapidly relieve catatonic signs in patients with schizophrenia.

Abstract
The uses of lorazepam and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) have been proven to be effective in treating catatonia. In the present study a modified treatment strategy (i.e. lorazepam i.m. injection or diazepam infused i.v. if lorazepam failed, not with ECT) was proposed to rapidly relieve catatonic signs in patients with schizophrenia. During a 3-year period, 14 patients with catatonic schizophrenia in Chinese ethnic background Taiwanese were brought to the emergency unit of a general hospital. First, the patients were immediately treated with lorazepam 1 or 2 ampules (2 mg/mL per ampule) i.m. injection (IMI) during 2 h. Second, if the previous 2 ampules of lorazepam IMI failed, diazepam infused i.v. (10 mg/2 mL per ampule) in normal saline 500 mL every 8 h would be done during 1 day. The response rate of catatonic signs in these 14 patients with lorazepam IMI during the first 2 h was 85.7% (12/14). However, according to the results of this method, the total response rate to benzodiazepines during 1 day was 100%(14/14). These results suggested that this modified treatment strategy could rapidly and completely relieve catatonic signs, even without the use of ECT.
AuthorsTiao-Lai Huang
JournalPsychiatry and clinical neurosciences (Psychiatry Clin Neurosci) Vol. 59 Issue 1 Pg. 52-5 (Feb 2005) ISSN: 1323-1316 [Print] Australia
PMID15679540 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article)
Chemical References
  • Anti-Anxiety Agents
  • Lorazepam
  • Diazepam
Topics
  • Adult
  • Anti-Anxiety Agents (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
  • Coma (diagnosis, drug therapy, psychology)
  • Diazepam (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drug Administration Schedule
  • Emergency Service, Hospital
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infusions, Intravenous
  • Injections, Intramuscular
  • Lorazepam (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mutism (diagnosis, drug therapy, psychology)
  • Schizophrenia, Catatonic (diagnosis, drug therapy, psychology)
  • Taiwan
  • Treatment Outcome

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