Patients With First-Episode Psychosis are Not a Homogeneous Population: Implications for Treatment.

Objective: This study aimed at defining the characteristics of a population of patients diagnosed with first-episode psychosis (FEP), and accessing for the first time a center for early intervention in psychosis in the health district of Milan and its surroundings.

Methods: Patients were included in the study from January 2007 to December 2008; criteria: first contact with any public mental health service of the catchment area for a first episode of schizophrenia or related syndromes according to the ICD-10 criteria. Cluster analysis was used to divide patients into groups based on the main socio-demographic and clinical characteristics at presentation.

Prospective performance evaluation of emergency medical services for cardiac arrest in Lombardia: is something moving forward?

Background: Limited data are available in our region on out-of-hospital treatment of cardiac arrest. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether the changes implemented in the emergency system (i.e.

[Antidepressant and antipsychotic drug prescribing in Lombardy].

Background: The patterns of antidepressant and antipsychotic drug prescribing have rarely been studied in large and geographically defined catchment areas. In the present study we examined the prevalence and distribution of antidepressant and antipsychotic prescribing in Lombardy, a northern Italy region of nine million inhabitants.

Methods: This study used the Regional Administrative Database of Lombardy.

Second-generation antipsychotics and risk of cerebrovascular accidents in the elderly.

Concern has been recently raised for risperidone and olanzapine, possibly associated with cerebrovascular events in placebo-controlled trials conducted in elderly subjects with dementia. We investigated the relationship between exposure to second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) and occurrence of cerebrovascular accidents in the elderly. From the regional database of hospital admissions of Lombardy, Italy, we extracted all patients aged 65 or older with cerebrovascular-related outcomes for the year 2002.

Past use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and the risk of cerebrovascular events in the elderly.

Treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) has been associated with intracranial bleeding abnormalities. We investigated the relationship between past exposure to SSRIs and occurrence of cerebrovascular accidents in the elderly. From the regional database of hospital admissions of Lombardy, Italy, we extracted all patients aged 65 years or above with cerebrovascular-related outcomes for the year 2002.

Antidepressant drug prescribing among elderly subjects: a population-based study.

Background: The patterns of antidepressant drug prescribing have rarely been studied in large and geographically defined populations of elderly subjects. In the present study we examined the prevalence and distribution of antidepressant prescribing in Lombardy, a northern Italy region with more than one and a half million elderly inhabitants.

Methods: We used the Regional Administrative Database of Lombardy.

Antidepressant drug use in Lombardy, Italy: a population-based study.

Background: The patterns of antidepressant drug prescribing have rarely been studied in large and geographically defined catchment areas. In the present study, we examined the prevalence and distribution of antidepressant prescribing in Lombardy, a northern Italy region of nine million inhabitants.

Methods: This study used the Regional Administrative Database of Lombardy.

Antipsychotic drug prescribing in the elderly is cause for concern.

Despite most studies of antipsychotic efficacy and safety having been conducted in young patients with schizophrenia, antipsychotic agents are often prescribed in elderly subjects with psychotic symptoms. The aim of this study was to document and describe the level of antipsychotic exposure among elderly subjects. We used the Regional Administrative Database of Lombardy, a region of northern Italy with more than 1.