Laboratory findings in acute schizophrenia - Relevance to medical management on emergency admission

This study documents the prevalence of abnormal laboratory findings in schi zophrenic patients who were admitted, because of acute disease, to a psychi atric intensive care unit in Japan. Patient laboratory data were evaluated retrospectively prior to treatment. Of 259 male acute schizophrenic patient s (ICD-10: F2 group), nearly 10% were dehydrated, 33% had hypokalemia and l eukocytosis, and 66% showed elevated serum muscle enzymes. This prevalance was statistically significant compared with that of psychiatric outpatients (F1 group). In addition, these medical problems in the F2 group were as fr equent as those in the F1 group, i.e., alcohol and/or psychoactive substanc e abusers (ICD-10), although the problems in the F2 group occurred less oft en than in the F1 group. Current medication, obvious complications, or the presence of alcohol and/or psychoactive substance abuse in the F2 group wer e not major causes of these results. The medical problems significantly imp roved after 8 hours of fluid therapy. These findings strongly suggest the s ignificance of medical management for acute schizophrenic patients on emerg ency admission as well as for alcohol and/or psychoactive substance abusers . (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc.