Use of Atypical Antipsychotics in Psychotic Disorder and Behavioral Disorder Caused by physical Disease

Kim, Kwang Soon; Pae, Chi Un

Abstract

Psychotic disorders due to physical diseases are recently increased and show more complex manifestation than functional psychotic disorders. The psychiatrist's role in dealing with the acutely psychotic patient due to physical diseases is to control the patient's behavior and psychotic symptoms, to delineate the etiology of the psychosis, and to provide appropriate initial treatment and disposition. The control of behavioral and psychotic symptoms can be accomplished through supportive, physical, or pharmacological interventions. But among these interventions, pharmacological intervention shows most rapid responses. Traditionally, pharmacological treatments of these patients have been made by typical antisychotics, which have many adverse effects including extrapyramidal symptoms and therefore, it is problematic to prescribe typical antipsychotics to these patients who are vulnerable to antipsychotics. Recently developed atypical antipsychotics are known to have less drug induced side effects than typical antipsychotics. Studies using atypical antipsychotics to patients who have psychotic and behavioral problems induced by physical disease are increased. We summarized studies which have investigated the efficacy and tolerability of atypical antipsychotics in patients with psychotic and behavioral disorder induced by physical disease.