[Intoxications with atypical antipsychotic drugs--data of the Acute Intoxication Unit in Wrocław].

Recently, atypical antipsychotic agents have largely replaced traditional agents as first-line drugs for the treatment of schizophrenia and psychotic mood disorders. Considering the increase in atypical antipsychotics prescriptions and the increased risk of suicide in this patient population, the number of reported cases of antipsychotic drugs may be expected to increase. This paper describes the clinical course of atypical antipsychotic agents intoxication, chiefly clozapine, risperidone and olanzapine. Clozapine was the ingestant in 11 cases of atypical antipsychotics overdose in our material. The major observed effects in this group included deep coma, tachycardia, hypersalivation, delirium and shock. Clozapine has a small therapeutic index; in our patients the mortality rate was 27%. Ten patients with risperidone overdose were identified. Our data show that risperidone toxicity manifests mainly as mild central nervous system effects: somnolence, vertigo and tardive dyskinesia. Olanzapine has been considered to be similar to clozapine, but olanzapine intoxication appeared to have a relatively benign clinical course as compared with clozapine intoxication. In olanzapine intoxications deep coma, myosis and mild cardiovascular effects (hypotonia) were observed.