Switching bipolar disorder patients treated with clozapine to another antipsychotic medication: a mirror image study

Figures & data

Table 1 The antipsychotics used for switching

Antipsychotics	n (%)
Haloperidol	4 (19.04)
Olanzapine	3 (14.28)
Quetiapine	10 (47.61)
Risperidone	2 (9.52)
Amisulpride	1 (4.76)
Aripiprazole	1 (4.76)

Table 2 Patient demographics

Characteristics	Non-switched group n=37, 59.7%	Switched group n=25, 40.3%	P-value
Gender, male, n=36, 58.1%	23	13	<0.05
Age (years)	38.94 (10.59)	38.76 (10.17)	0.846
Age of onset (years)	26.67 (8.17)	27.60 (7.71)	0.782
Duration of illness (years)	12.00 (7.68)	11.16 (5.51)	0.091
Number of hospitalizations (lifetime)	8.67 (5.38)	7.60 (3.65)	0.049
Days of hospitalizations (lifetime)	212.56 (123.90)	190.20 (90.76)	0.113
Clozapine before replacing, months, mean (SD)	13.91 (6.20)	14.32 (5.27)	0.408
Remission before clozapine discontinuation (months)	10.18 (5.55)	10.64 (4.58)	0.326
Remission after clozapine discontinuation (months)	12.93 (6.24)	9.24 (3.90)	0.018
Relapse after clozapine replacing	8 (21.62)	21 (77.77)	<0.0001
Hospitalization after clozapine replacing	8 (24.24)	25 (75.76)	<0.0001
Total amount of money/family	€780	€821	0.884
Number of persons who support patient’s treatment	2,3	2.1	0.921

Note: Data presented as n (%) unless stated otherwise.

Abbreviation: SD, standard deviation.