J Korean Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry.  2013 Dec;24(4):207-212.

Long-Term Tolerability of Escitalopram in Korean Adolescents

• Goo AJ
• Won EK
• Lee C
• Lee JI
• Jung HY
• Kim Y

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
We investigated the long-term tolerability of escitalopram in Korean adolescents.
METHODS
The subjects were 37 adolescents, who had been diagnosed with depressive disorder in accordance to DSM-IV. Clinical effectiveness was assessed by Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I) scale at the final follow-up visit. Tolerability was assessed through a medical record of the reason for discontinuation of escitalopram and documented adverse events.
RESULTS
The mean duration of treatment was 78.1+/-89.5 days, and the mean dosage was 10.0+/-4.4mg/day. Out of the total 37 patients, two (5%) patients sustained use of escitalopram. Twelve patients (32.4%) discontinued use of escitalopram due to target symptom remission, and 23 patients (61.9%) due to insufficient efficacy. Six patients (16.2%) had at least one documented adverse event. However, no suicidal ideation or self-injurious behavior was reported. Significant differences in clinical symptom improvement efficacy were seen between the patients who were receiving escitalopram for less than 8 weeks (4.3%, 1/13) and those for more than 8 weeks (92.9%, 13/14). There was no significant difference between the tolerability of monotherapy compared to the concomitant use group.
CONCLUSION
The results of this study suggest that long-term use of escitalopram may result in superior efficacy than short-term use, and is tolerable in Korean adolescents with depression.

Keyword

Adolescents; Depression; Escitalopram; Tolerability

MeSH Terms

Adolescent*
Citalopram*
Depression
Depressive Disorder
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Medical Records
Self-Injurious Behavior
Suicidal Ideation
Citalopram