Efficacy of risperidone and chlorpromazine in the treatment of schizophrenia with bronchial asthma at acute stage of seizures

Abstract:

Objective：To explore of the efficacy and safety of risperidone combined with small doses of chlorpromazine in the treatment of schizophrenia with bronchial asthma at acute stage of seizures. Methods：A total of 64 patients with schizophrenia with bronchial asthma at acute stage of seizures were randomly divided into study group（risperidone combined with a small does of chlorpromazine，n=32） and control group（risperidone，n=32） and continuous treatment was made for six weeks. Efficacy and adverse events were as－sessed with the positive and negative symptom scale（PANSS），clinical global impression scale and treatment emergent symptom scale（TESS） before and after the treatment. Assessment on asthma symptoms and sign disappearing time at the end of the 2nd week after the treatment was conducted. Results of arterial blood gas analysis and changes of respiratory and heart rate of two groups were mea－sured before treatment and at the end of the first week after the treatment. Results：PANSS total scores，positive symptom scores，nega－tive symptom scores and general psychopathology scores of the two groups were significantly decreased at the end of the 6th week af－ter the treatment and were statistically different compared with those before the treatment（P<0.01）. Reduction rate was significantly higher in study group than in control group at the end of the first week after the treatment with statistical differences（P<0.05）. There was no statistical difference in PANSS total scores between the two groups at the end of the 6th week after the treatment（P >0.05）. There was no statistical difference in total effective rate between the two groups（P >0.05）. Marked effective rate of study group was 62.50%（20/32），statistically higher than that of 40.63%（13/32） in control group（P<0.05）. Reducing time of wheezing sound，disap－pearing time of clinical symptoms and disappearing time of wheezing sound were shorter in study group than in control group at the end of the 2nd week after the treatment，with statistical differences（P<0.05 or P<0.01）. Arterial blood gas analysis of PaCO2 and improvement of respiratory frequency were faster in study group than in control group at the end of the first week after the treatment，with statistical differences（P<0.05）. There was no statistical difference in TESS total scores between the two groups at the first and the 6th week after the treatment（P >0.05）. Side effect rates in study and control group were 62.50%（20/32） and 53.13%（17/32） respectively，without statistical differences（P >0.05）. Conclusions：With mild side effect，risperidone combined with small doses of chlorpromazinen is more effective in the treatment of schizophrenia with bronchial asthma at acute stage of seizures than single risperidone treatment.