A retrospective study of risperidone oral solution versus risperidone tablets in treating schizophrenia

AIM To retrospectively evaluate the efficacy and safety of risperidone oral solution and risperidone tablets in treating schizophrenia.METHODS A total of 204 patients,who met diagnostic criteria of CCMD-3 for schizophrenia and were hospitalized in our department of psychiatry from May 2007 to May 2011, included 85 patients in risperidone oral solution group and 119 patients in risperidone tablets group.Before the treatment and at the end of the 4 th week of the treatment,all patients were assessed by Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale(BPRS),Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms(SANS),Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms(SAPS),Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale(TESS) and laboratory tests.RESULTS There were significant differences in total scales of TESS and the rates of ECG abnormalities and extrapyramidal side effects between the risperidone oral solution group and risperidone tablets group(6.62±3.65 vs.7.97±4.93,16.5% vs.28.6%,23.5%vs.40.3%,P0.05).However,there were no statistically significant differences(P0.05) in the total scales of BPRS,SANS,SAPS and other index of safety.CONCLUSION The efficacy of risperidone oral solution and risperidone tablets in treating schizophrenia was equal,but risperidone oral solution is superior to risperidone tablets on the safety.