To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of chlorpromazine in comparison
with placebo over a brief period of hospitalization, the authors conducted
a double-blind study of the drug in 44 acutely ill schizophrenic patients.
These patients had been newly admitted to a brief treatment unit where the
average length of stay was 7 to 10 days. The results of this study indicate
that chlorpromazine had no more calming or antipsychotic effect than
placebo during the first 5 days of treatment. The authors suggest that 5
days is too short a time for a clinical trial to gauge patient response to
chlorpromazine.Abstract Teaser