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This study documents the prevalence of abnormal laboratory findings in schizophrenic patients who were admitted, because of acute disease, to a psychiatric intensive care unit in Japan. Patient laboratory data were evaluated retrospectively prior to treatment. Of 259 male acute schizophrenic patients (ICD-10: F2 group), nearly 10% were dehydrated, 33% had hypokalemia and leukocytosis, and 66% showed elevated serum muscle enzymes. This prevalence was statistically significant compared with that of psychiatric outpatients (F1 group). In addition, these medical problems in the F2 group were as frequent as those in the F1 group, i.e., alcohol and/or psychoactive substance abusers (ICD-10), although the problems in the F2 group occurred less often than in the F1 group. Current medication, obvious complications, or the presence of alcohol and/or psychoactive substance abuse in the F2 group were not major causes of these results. The medical problems significantly improved after 8 hours of fluid therapy. These findings strongly suggest the significance of medical management for acute schizophrenic patients on emergency admission as well as for alcohol and/or psychoactive substance abusers. |
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