2012 issue 2

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Volume 28, issue 2

Case report

Combined treatment with sertindole and clozapine for patients with drug-resistant schizophrenia. 4 cases reports

Bożena Śpila1
1. Katedra i Klinika Psychiatrii Uniwersytetu Medycznego w Lublinie
Farmakoterapia w Psychiatrii i Neurologii, 2012, 2, 87–93
Keywords: treatment-resistant schizophrenia, clozapine, sertindole

Abstract

We report four cases (2 men and 2 women) of schizophrenia patients resistant to pharmacological treatment, in whom all neuroleptics available in Poland were used without satisfactory effect. Patients were treated in the Department of Psychiatry of Medical University of Lublin between 2008 and 2011. The applied combined therapy consisted of sertindole, 16–20 mg/d and clozapine, 100–600 mg/d. A signifi cant improvement of the mental state was achieved during the first two months of gradually introduced treatment. In all patients, a signifi cant reduction of positive and deficit symptom occurred as well as improvement in functioning. Monitoring of the heart did not reveal prolongation of the QT segment or the QTc, and no arrhythmias were observed. The results obtained show that combined treatment with sertindole and clozapine was found to be effective and safe for patients with drug-resistant schizophrenia.

Address for correspondence:
Bożena Śpila
Katedra i Klinika Psychiatrii UM
ul. Głuska 1, 20-349 Lublin
tel.: 81 74 409 67
e-mail: bozena.spila@umlub.pl