Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome: A Pilot Study on Psychiatric Inpatients in Iran

Abstract

Background: Neuroleptic malignant syndrome is a life-threatening complication that can occur anytime during antipsychotic treatment. Objective: The present assessment has probed the incidence and clinical profile of neuroleptic malignant syndrome among a sample of non-western psychiatric patients and compared with the available data in the literature with regard to prevalence and other associated clinical physiognomies. Methods: As a retrospective, record-based evaluation, all cases with diagnosis of neuroleptic malignant syndrome during the last sixty-two months, after ruling out other imaginable differential diagnoses, like encephalitis, meningitis and serotonin syndrome, entered the present investigation. Clinical diagnosis, was in essence also based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition. The assessment of independent variables was analyzed by ‘Compression of proportions’. Statistical significance is, defined as p value ≤0.05. Results: Among 19814 psychiatric patients, during a sixty-two months’ period, eighteen cases received the diagnosis of neuroleptic malignant syndrome. The most prevalent symptom was fever, which was observed in 100% of cases. Also, there was no significant difference between the first generation versus second-generation antipsychotics. Neuroleptic malignant syndrome was meaningfully more prevalent among male patients suffering from schizophrenia. Similarly, it was significantly more widespread amid 18-65 years old agegroup. Conclusion: While no significant difference was found between first-generation as opposed to second-generation antipsychotics, neuroleptic malignant syndrome was significantly more prevalent among young and male patients suffering from schizophrenia.