Practical guidelines on the use of paliperidone palmitate in schizophrenia.

Objective: Paliperidone palmitate is an atypical long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotic that has been approved for use in the US, EU, Australia and numerous other countries for acute and maintenance therapy of schizophrenia. LAI antipsychotics are often viewed as a 'last-resort' treatment for difficult-to-treat patients, however this article considers their role more broadly in the management of partial or non-adherence in schizophrenia.

Method: A search of MedLine, CTR and PsychInfo was conducted to identify relevant publications and clinical trials (search term 'paliperidone palmitate', up to December 2010).

Assessing nurse-initiated care in a mental health crisis assessment and treatment team in Australia.

Objective: This pilot study in a specialist mental health crisis assessment and treatment setting compared patients' outcomes and level of satisfaction in nurse-initiated care and in treatment as usual.

Methods: Initially, the nurse's decision making in 51 cases was evaluated and rated by a psychiatrist (February 2005 to May 2005). A quasi-experimental design was then used to compare nurse-initiated care (experimental group) with treatment as usual (control group) in terms of consumer and caregiver satisfaction and outcome.