Oral versus long-acting injectable antipsychotics: Hospitalisation rate of psychotic patients discharged from an Italian Psychiatric Unit

Objective: The primary aim is to verify the efficacy of long-acting injectable (LAI) and oral antipsychotics (AP) in terms of rehospitalisation rate of patients with psychotic disorders. The second aim is to evaluate socio-demographic and clinical differences in patients that were re-hospitalised after the index discharge compared to patients that were not re-hospitalised. Finally, socio-demographic and clinical differences of re-hospitalised patients that were prescribed at discharge with oral or LAI AP were analysed. Methods: A retrospective observational study including all patients discharged with diagnosis of psychotic disorders from July 2011 to July 2013 was conducted. Patients discharged with LAI or with oral AP were included. Re-hospitalisations occurred during a followup period of 24 months after the index discharge were considered. Chi-square test or Student's t-test were used for comparisons. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the incidence of re-hospitalisation for LAI or oral AP were provided. Results: No significant differences between LAI and oral AP in terms of re-hospitalisation rate in a 24-month period were found. Clinical and socio-demographic characteristics did not significantly differ between the groups. Conclusions: LAI seemed to be similar to oral AP in terms of prevention of re-hospitalisation in psychotic patients.