Abstract

Background: Little is known about psychiatric pharmacotherapy and somatic treatments in dementia in China. This study examined the prescription patterns of psychotropic medications and use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in dementia patients hospitalized in a psychiatric institution in Beijing, China. Methods: This was a retrospective chart review of 401 patients with dementia treated over a period of 7 years (2007 – 2013) in a university-affiliated psychiatric institution in Beijing. Socio-demographic and clinical data were collected from the electronic chart management system (ECMS) for discharged patients. Results: Nearly all patients (96.8%) received psychotropic medications in order of frequency: second-generation antipsychotics (83.0%), benzodiazepines (77.8%), first generation antipsychotics (39.7%), antidepressants (29.7%), and mood stabilizers (24.7%). The rate of polypharmacy and ECT use was 82.0% and 3.7%, respectively. Prescription of mood stabilizers was associated with longer length of hospitalization. Conclusions: In a major psychiatric hospital in China, ECT was sporadically used in patients with dementia, while the vast majority of patients received at least one type of psychotropic medication. Factors contributing to the high use of psychopharmacological interventions in this population warrant further investigations.

Author Details

Authors

• Lu Li¹
• Zhi-Min Wang²
• Helen F.K. Chiu³
• Gabor S. Ungvari⁴,⁵
• Chee H. Ng⁶
• Ada W.Y. Tse³
• Grace K.I. Lok⁷
• Jian-Song Zhou⁸
• Yu-Tao Xiang¹,²

Departments

• ¹ Unit of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR,
• ² Mood Disorders Center, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University,
• ³ Department of Psychiatry, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China,
• ⁴ The University of Notre Dame Australia / Marian Center,
• ⁵ School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Perth,
• ⁶ Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia,
• ⁷ Kiang Wu Nursing College of Macau, Macao SRA, and
• ⁸ Mental Health Institute of the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan and Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health of Hunan Province, China

Address

Dr. Zhi-Min Wang
Mood Disorders Center, Beijing Anding Hospital, China
or
Dr. Yu-Tao Xiang
3/F, Building E12, Faculty of Health Sciences
University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade
Taipa, Macau SAR, China
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Citation