500 – Prescribing Anti Psychotics for Behavioral Problems in Dementia Patients

Abstract

Background:

Dementia is a serious loss of global cognitive ability in a previously unimpaired person, beyond what might be expected from normal aging. There are about 820,000 people in the UK with dementia (Alzheimer's Research Trust 2010).

Aim:

To show whether we compiled with the Department of Health in prescribing antipsychotics for dementia patients. All the patients have an indication recorded for the prescribing of antipsychotics including target symptoms.

Methodology and selection:

We included all the patients with dementia who were under the care of the MCPCT Older Adult Team (Outpatients, inpatients, and memory assessment clinics) between April 1st 2011 - June 30th 2011.

Results:

Antipsychotics were used in 11% of patients with dementia, there’re were clear guidelines as to what the indications were in each case. The initiation of treatment was almost within the scope of specialist mental health services. The review was done by consultants. The indication for antipsychotics were psychotic symptoms (delusions and hallucinations) in nearly 40% of cases. In 50% of cases we tried to stop the antipsychotics with successful cessation in half of that sample. The maximum duration was less than 3 months in 82% of cases.

Discussion:

It is clear that antipsychotics are infrequently used in older adult population with Dementia who are under the care of our teams (only 11%) which is much less than what the Department of Health report's figures.