ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Asphyxia is one of the most serious types of antipsychotic-induced extrapyramidal symptoms. AIM: To study the prevalence, course, diagnostics and treatment of asphyxia and dysphagia caused by the use of antipsychotics. METHOD: The relevant literature was retrieved via Medline (1960-2005), using combinations of the (mesh) terms 'antipsychotic agents', 'dystonia', 'parkinson disease', 'secondary', 'dyskinesias', 'drug-induced', 'asphyxia' and the key words 'dysphagia' en 'respiratory'. RESULTS: Asphyxia caused by the use of antipsychotics can occur because of spasms of the respiratory muscles or because of an increased risk of choking (dysphagia). These phenomena can occur shortly after patients have started to take antipsychotics, for some time or even for a long time after. Patients who choke frequently or take rapid, irregular breaths interspersed with groans or sighs need to be observed closely. Risk factors are high doses of and long-term use of antipsychotics. Clinical examination of the gag reflex and the respiration contributes very little to an unequivocal diagnosis of swallowing disorders. However, swallowing disorders can be identified reliably by means of videofluoroscopy. Treatment that involves an adjustment of a patient's medication can often be effective. CONCLUSION: Timely recognition of asphyxia is vital for the prevention of a life-threatening complication arising from the use of antipsychotics.
Subject(s)
Airway Obstruction/etiology , Antipsychotic Agents/adverse effects , Asphyxia/etiology , Deglutition Disorders/etiology , Dyskinesia, Drug-Induced/prevention & control , Airway Obstruction/epidemiology , Antipsychotic Agents/therapeutic use , Asphyxia/epidemiology , Deglutition Disorders/epidemiology , Dyskinesia, Drug-Induced/epidemiology , Humans , Prevalence , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The assumed relationship between dissociation and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was examined. METHOD: From a group of police officers who had experienced a traumatic event, the authors assessed the chronic dissociative symptoms of 42 police officers with PTSD, 50 police officers with partial PTSD, and 50 police officers who experienced no PTSD symptoms after the trauma. RESULTS: Police officers with PTSD, as well as those with partial PTSD, exhibited significantly more dissociative symptoms than police officers without PTSD symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The study shows that it is quite probable that PTSD and partial PTSD predict dissociation and not the other way around.
