Effects of aripiprazole on the QTc: a case report.

The use of neuroleptics in the elderly has been a topic of debate since 2005 when the US Food and Drug Administration issued a black-box warning of increased risk of mortality in elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis. Antipsychotic alternatives such as divalproex are sometimes favored on an "off-label" basis to manage agitation in the demented elderly, and antipsychotic use is often clinically necessary to treat psychosis in older adults, with or without dementia. Concurrently, risk for iatrogenic corrected QT (QTc) prolongation on electrocardiogram (ECG) remains a concern with the use of many antipsychotic agents because of its associated potential for fatal arrhythmias.

Pharmacological treatments of non-substance-withdrawal delirium: a systematic review of prospective trials.

Objective: Most reviews of pharmacological strategies for delirium treatment evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions for delirium prevention, reduction in duration and severity of ongoing delirium, and other outcomes that extend beyond the recommendations of expert treatment guidelines. However, little if any attention is given to substantiating the potential benefits of such treatment or addressing the methodological weaknesses that, in part, limit the pharmacological recommendations made by expert treatment guidelines. Therefore, the authors conducted a systematic review to provide the most up-to-date and inclusive review of published prospective trials of potential pharmacological interventions for the prevention and treatment of delirium, and they discuss potential benefits of pharmacological prevention of delirium and/or reduction of ongoing delirium episode duration and severity.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for catatonia in a patient with schizophrenia and synthetic cannabinoid abuse: a case report.

We present the case of a young man with a long-standing history of schizophrenia who presented with severe and life-threatening catatonia in the setting of synthetic cannabis use who was successfully treated with electroconvulsive therapy. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of severe and persistent catatonia in the setting of synthetic cannabis use and the first documented successful treatment.