Treatment Of Acutely Disturbed Psychotic Patients: Assessment Of A New Treatment Strategy

Psychiatric inpatients at Danderyd Hospital, Sweden, were studied over a 3-year period (1987-1989) for aggressive incidents and their consequences. Included in the study was the use of the Staff Observation Aggression Scale for recording and assessing aggressive incidents. Peak daily incidences of aggressive acts occurred at times of medication.In 1988, zuclopenthixol acetate - a novel neuroleptic preparation - was introduced into the study for the treatment of acutely disturbed patients. In 1988 and 1989 there followed an overall reduction in aggressive incidents and the peak incidences associated with medication times were abolished. The positive clinical experience with zuclopenthixol acetate has established this drug as first choice treatment for acutely disturbed psychotic patients at Danderyd Hospital.