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Aim: The aim of the study was to analyse the prescribing pattern of antipsychotic drugs in patients with schizophrenia during the years 2013-2018., Method: Schizophrenia is analysed as one of the diseases with the highest rate of Disability-Adjusted Life Years - DALY. In this study, the unitary data of the National Health Fund (NFZ) reported in the years 2013-2018 were used. Adult patients were identified by their Personal Identification Number (PESEL), and the antipsychotics were identified by the European Article Number (EAN). The study included 209,334 adults who were diagnosed with F20 to F20.9 (according to ICD-10) and were prescribed at least one antipsychotic within a year. The active substances of prescribed antipsychotic medication have been divided into typical (first generation), atypical (second generation) and long-acting injectable antipsychotics (both first and second generation). The statistical analysis contains descriptive statistics for selected sections. A linear regression, one-way analysis of variance and t-test were used in the study. All statistical analyses were performed using R, version 3.6.1 and Microsoft Excel., Results: In the years 2013-2018, the number of patients in the public sector diagnosed with schizophrenia increased by 4%. The largest increase was recorded among persons diagnosed with other schizophrenia (F20.8). In the analysed years, the number of patients who were prescribed second-generation oral antipsychotics increased significantly as well as the number of patients who were prescribed long-acting antipsychotics, especially the secondgeneration agents (risperidone LAI, olanzapine LAI). The most prescribed first-generation antipsychotics included: perazine, levomepromazine and haloperidol with a downward trend for each; and the most common second-generation drugs included: olanzapine, aripiprazole and quetiapine. A noteworthy finding was an extremely high increase in the frequency of prescribing haloperidol in the form of depot., Conclusions: Extending the study to include information on applied prescriptive practice in the private sector would provide a fuller picture of the studied phenomenon.

The article presents the clinical picture of delirium characterized with acute, fluctuating altered levels of consciousness, inattention and cognitive function disorders. The article is comprised the most popular assessment scales for detecting (CAM - Confusion Assessment Method) and monitoring the course of delirium (DRS-R-98: Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98; DOM: Delirium-O-Meter). The scales mentioned above contain unequivocally defined rating criteria of the patient's clinical state. The article mentions scientific studies concerning predisposing and precipitating factors for delirium such as age, severity of illnesses, cognitive impairment, metabolic and electrolyte disturbances, grouped according to the recommendation grades based on scientific evidence and the opinion of experts. Categories of recommendation of possible therapeutic intervention are presented with special emphasis being put on interventions that are always beneficial, useful, successful and safe. Moreover, recommendable pharmacological treatment methods (haloperidol, new antipsychotic drugs) as well as non-pharmacological ones (comprising routine screening of cognitive functions, comprehensive medical and nursing care) are described.

Two patients are described who had frequent epileptic seizures, one with primary generalized, the other with partly complex type, in whom after treatment EEG pattern became normal but acute psychotic disturbances appeared. In the literature this phenomenon is known as "forced normalization". The term is not precise since it reduces it to only EEG changes leaving aside seizures and psychosis as alternative of seizures. The condition occurs usually in young persons who previously had no psychotic changes, but had frequent daily seizures, usually generalized of absence type, treated usually with suximide, but in some cases the syndrome was observed in other types of epilepsy treated with other drugs. The incidence of the syndrome is estimated at 1%. Haloperidol is the treatment of choice, but sometimes psychotic episodes were so intense that anticonvulsants had to be withdrawn, as this occurred in one of the reported cases.

The article reviews the current literature on Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS), offers specific criteria to define this syndrome, evaluates its prevalence, analyses the possible associated ophthalmic and sociodemographic factors, suggests future work in this area. Despite the recent interest in CBS in contemporary medical literature, a universal definition of this entity has not been fully established yet. The syndrome is usually characterised by presence of vivid and complex visual hallucinations, which are recognised as unreal and occur in the absence of any other psychiatric symptoms. Therefore there are suggestions that the phenomena should be best described by the term 'pseudohallucinations' or 'parahallucinations'. Some researchers suggest that isolated visual hallucinations in older adults may be an indication of early stages of dementia. Contrary to what was considered for a long time, the syndrome seems to occur rather frequently. Recent findings support association of CBS with sensory deprivation and advanced age. CBS should be considered as a diagnosis in patients who complain of hallucinations and who meet the defined diagnostic criteria. There is no proven treatment, but many patients will benefit from reassurance that their hallucinations do not imply mental illness.

In the study the usefulness was assessed of haloperidol depot preparation in 50 mg ampoules produced by Warsaw Pharmaceutical Works POLFA in the treatment of schizophrenia. The study group comprised 30 patients, 12 females and 18 males, aged 18-70 years. Before haloperidol administration all other drugs were withdrawn. Haloperidol depot was injected intramuscularly after 7-10 days of oral administration of haloperidol. The injections were done at 3-week intervals during 26 weeks. The mean interval between the injections was 17.8 days, and the mean dose was 77.0 mg. The effectiveness of the drug was assessed using Overall scale (BPRS) measuring the intensity of 18 psychotic symptoms in the following weeks of the trial: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 10, 13, 17, 20, 23 and 26. The depot haloperidol preparation (Decaldol) was studied assessing its effects on productive and defect symptoms and depression. The strongest effect was exerted on productive symptoms, less pronounced effect was on psychotic defects, and lowest on depression symptoms. Improvement of the psychosis was noted in 20 cases, deterioration in 8 and no change was observed in two patients. The present trial period was not completed by 19 patients, 6 due to psychotic deterioration, 5 patients had intense extrapyramidal adverse effects and in 2 cases worsening of mental condition was associated with adverse effects. In this subgroup of 19 patients 9 were improved, 8 were worse, and 2 had no change in relation to initial status. In the remaining 11 cases who completed the study only full of considerable improvement was found.

Basing on the latest world literature the paper presents the profile of pharmacological and clinical effects of sulpiride, an atypical neuroleptic which has only recently become available in Poland. The author promotes the clinical application of sulpiride.

In order to evaluate the influence of some neuroleptics on unproductive symptoms of schizophrenic process, first hospitalized patients with paranoid schizophrenia underwent monotherapy with perazine, fluphenazine, trifluoroperazine, chlorpromazine, and haloperidol. All the drugs eliminated the productive activity of the disease process within 2 months in both women and men aged 18-40 years. However, drugs showed different qualitative and quantitative effects on unproductive symptoms of schizophrenic process; this fact allows the suggestion regarding the particular usefulness of drugs in the out-patient care.