Changes in the treatment of acute psychosis in a German public hospital from 1998 to 2004.

Introduction: The aim of our study was to investigate antipsychotic treatment strategies in acute schizophrenic episodes in a German university hospital.

Methods: Documented pharmacological procedures in the first six weeks of acute episodes of schizophrenia in the years 1998 (n = 108), 2001 (n = 92), and 2004 (n = 94) were analyzed. Inclusion criteria were: admission voluntary and involuntary as inpatient to our acute ward with a diagnosis of F20x according to ICD 10.