TWO-YEAR FATE STUDY OF THORAZINE-TREATED PATIENTS
PAUL E. FELDMAN M. D.1
1 Director of Research and Education, Topeka State Hospital, Topeka, Kan.
1. Ninety-six chronically psychotic patients (26.2%) treated over a 2-year period with Thorazine have been released from the hospital. The stability of the release is indicated by the fact that only 11 of these patients have been returned from parole.
2. Younger schizophrenics are more likely to respond to Thorazine to the extent that their release from the hospital is feasible.
3. Of the patients remaining in the hospital, 65.5% are still receiving Thorazine.
4. Behavioral improvement following Thorazine medication is maintained for at least 2 years.
5. There appears to be evidence that prolonged administration of Thorazine does not lead to tolerance formation. Eighty-five point four per cent of the patients are receiving identical or smaller dosages of Thorazine than they were receiving a year ago.
6. Some patients who responded minimally to Thorazine have shown a better response to one of the other tranquilizers.
7. Eighteen of the Thorazine patients are showing a better response to combined therapy.
8. Nursing personnel express conflicting opinions as to the efficacy of Thorazine medication.
9. There is ample evidence of continued toxicity of Thorazine after 2 years of medication. This reinforces the concept that ataractic therapy must at all times be under medical supervision.
10. Maintenence dosages are substantially smaller than the dosages necessary to obtain the initial therapeutic response.
11. Blood studies (at monthly intervals) must be continued so long as the patient receives Thorazine.
12. The need for routine liver-function tests is equivocal unless Thorazine medication is interrupted and then restarted.
13. Side effects persist throughout the period of medication. All of them can be controlled, ameliorated or eliminated by the administration of proper antidote or discontinuation of Thorazine medication.
