Rationale and Comments

Metabolic, neuromuscular, and cardiovascular side effects are common in patients receiving antipsychotic medications for any indication, so thorough initial evaluation to ensure that their use is clinically warranted, and ongoing monitoring to ensure that side effects are identified, are essential. “Appropriate initial evaluation” includes the following: (a) thorough assessment of possible underlying causes of target symptoms including general medical, psychiatric, environmental or psychosocial problems; (b) consideration of general medical conditions; and (c) assessment of family history of general medical conditions, especially of metabolic and cardiovascular disorders. “Appropriate ongoing monitoring” includes re-evaluation and documentation of dose, efficacy and adverse effects; and targeted assessment, including assessment of movement disorder or neurological symptoms; weight, waist circumference and/or body mass index; blood pressure; heart rate; blood glucose level; and lipid profile at periodic intervals.

Sponsoring Organizations

• American Psychiatric Association

Sources

• American Psychiatric Association guidelines

Disciplines

• Psychiatric and Psychologic

References

• American Psychiatric Association. Practice guideline for the psychiatric evaluation of adults, second edition. Am J Psychiatry. 2006 Jun;163(Suppl):3-36. Available from: http://psychiatryonline.org/content.aspx?bookid=28&sectionid=2021669.
  
• American Diabetes Association; American Psychiatric Association; American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists; North American Association for the Study of Obesity. Consensus development conference on antipsychotic drugs and obesity and diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2004;27(2):596-601.
  
• Dixon L, Perkins D, Calmes C. Guideline watch (September 2009): practice guideline for the treatment of patients with schizophrenia [Internet]. Psychiatry Online. [cited 2013 Mar 8] Available from: http://psychiatryonline.org/content.aspx?bookid=28&sectionid=1682213.
  
• Maglione M, Ruelaz Maher A, Hu J, Wang Z, Shanman R, Shekelle PG, Roth B, Hilton L, Suttorp MJ, Ewing BA, Motala A, Perry T; Southern California Evidence-Based Practice Center. Off-label use of atypical antipsychotics: an update. Rockville, Md.: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; 2011 Sep 437 p. Report No.: HHSA290-2007-10062-1.
  
• Nasrallah HA. Atypical antipsychotic-induced metabolic side effects: insights from receptor-binding profiles. Mol Psychiatry. 2008 Jan;13(1):27-35.