The overwhelming majority of patients with a
chronic psycho-sis have one of the primary disorders, that is, schizophrenia,
schizoaffective disorder or delusional disorder: secondary causes of psychosis
are relatively uncommon.
This is determined by the underlying cause. For
example, whereas a psychosis occurring secondary to a medication, such as a
dopaminergic drug, generally clears within days of discon-tinuation of the
drug, the psychosis due to a chronic condition, such as Huntington’s disease,
is likewise chronic.
Treatment, if possible, is directed at the
underlying cause. In those cases where such treatment is unavailable or
ineffec-tive, or where control of the psychosis is emergently required,
neuroleptics are indicated. Although conventional neurolep-tics, such as
haloperidol, have long been used successfully, newer atypical agents, such as
olanzapine or risperidone, may be better tolerated. In general, it is best to
start with a low dose (e.g., 2.5 mg of haloperidol, 5 mg olanzapine or 1 mg of
risperidone) with incremental increases, if necessary, per-formed slowly.
Related Topics
Privacy Policy, Terms and Conditions, DMCA Policy and Compliant
Copyright © 2018-2024 BrainKart.com; All Rights Reserved. Developed by Therithal info, Chennai.