A retrospective study of clozapine and urinary incontinence in Chinese in-patients

Objective: This study investigated the incidence of clozapine-associated ur inary incontinence (UI) in schizophrenic patients, the percentage of these patients with persistent urinary incontinence (PUI), and the possible facto rs affecting the occurrence of UI. Method: A total of 61 Chinese in-patients with schizophrenia (according to DSM-IV) treated with clozapine for more than 3 months were assessed retrosp ectively for the occurrence of UI. Patients who still had UI at the time of assessment were classified as having PUI. Patients whose UI had resolved a t the time of assessment were classified as having self-limited urinary inc ontinence (SUI). We compared the characteristics of UT and non-UT cases and of PUI and SUI cases. Results: The results showed that urinary incontinence developed at some tim e in 27 of 61 patients (44.3%), and that it was persistent in 15 of 61 pati ents (25%). There were no statistically significant differences in age, sex , clozapine dose, duration of clozapine use, duration of index admission, d uration of illness, age at onset of schizophrenia, or concurrent treatment with other psychiatric medications between the UI and non-UI groups and bet ween the PUI and SUI groups. Conclusion: Clozapine-associated urinary incontinence may be persistent in some patients, and it should be cautiously monitored in every patient takin g clozapine.