No data are available comparing the relative efficacy of different atypical
agents in patients with bipolar disorder. A chart review of bipolar and sc
hizoaffective disorder patients who had received courses of at least two at
ypical agents (n = 33) in a community psychiatry system was conducted. No d
ifferences in rates of hospitalizations were found between individual atypi
cal agents or between atypical agents as a class and conventional neurolept
ics. However, a significant reduction in rates of emergency room visits was
found with atypical agents compared to conventional neuroleptics, with a t
rend toward greater reduction with clozapine compared to other atypical ant
ipsychotics. Larger prospective studies are needed to confirm these prelimi
nary observations.