A STUDY OF ADVERSE EVENTS OF PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATIONS ON PATIENTS ADMITTED IN PSYCHIATRY WARD – A NATURALISTIC STUDY

Background: Psychiatric disorders requiring chronic use of psychotropic drugs can cause a wide range of potential adverse effects that can have life-threatening outcomes if not detected and treated on time. This study is aimed towards monitoring and assessing Adverse Drug Events caused by psychotropic drugs. Methods: A prospective observational study was done among 100 patients in Psychiatry Indoor Patients Department from January 2019 to August 2020 using convenient consecutive consenting samples to perform the tests. Results: The study included 100 psychiatric patients, majority suffering from schizophrenia, followed by bipolar mood disorder, major depressive disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Among antipsychotics, maximum side effects were seen in patients who were on haloperidol and least in patients on olanzapine. Extrapyramidal reactions were most common with haloperidol. Clozapine caused the most sedation and hypersalivation. Among SSRIs, escitalopram had the highest side effects, including the most sexual side effects among all antidepressants. Valproate caused the most side effects, including confusion and more weight gain, tremor, and nausea than lithium. Conclusion: Haloperidol and risperidone caused extrapyramidal symptoms; SSRIs/TCAs led to autonomic effects; and metabolic side effects were common with second-generation antipsychotics, SSRIs, TCAs, and SNRIs. Though statistically significant, these effects lacked clinical relevance.