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Copyright of Journal of Health Academics / Sağlık Akademisyenleri Dergisi is the property of Journal of Health Academics and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) defines pain as an unpleasant emotional experience related to actual or potential tissue damage. It is divided into three groups: nociceptive, neuropathic and psychogenic pain. One of these, neuropathic pain, is different from other frequently reported pain conditions such as headache, back pain and other musculoskeletal pain, which are nociceptive pain types, and reflects both peripheral and central sensitization mechanisms. The management of treatment on patients with neuropathic pain is complex. Stepwise treatment approach is generally recommended in the treatment of neuropathic pain. The first-line treatment includes tricyclic antidepressants, serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, alpha-2 delta ligand of calcium channels (gabapentin and pregabalin) and topical lidocaine. Opioid analgesics and tramadol are generally recommended for second-line treatment, but may also be recommended for first-line use in certain clinical situations. Third-line treatment includes antiepileptics, antidepressants, mexiletine, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists and topical capsaicin. Drug selection should be individualized, considering potential side effects, beneficial or harmful effects, and the need for immediate pain relief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ahi Evran Medical Journal is the property of Ahi Evran University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy is a syndrome with distal symmetrical sensorial-dominant pain, tingling and numbness caused by neurotoxic chemotherapeutic agents. The severity increases with cumulative doses of chemotherapy, besides decrease in quality of life, may lead to cessation of treatment which may effect survival. Neurotoxicity causes large fiber and small fiber neuropathy through many pathologic mechanisms including mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. Dose related neuropathic pain is most commonly seen with taxanes, platins, vinca alkaloids, bortezomib and brentuximab. There is a limited effect of anticonvulsant and antidepressant medication for treatment. In this review awareness about chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy, prevention and treatment are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The purpose of this study is to examine, the relationship between of sociodemographic features, positive, negative emotions and risky behaviors of first year students in a medical faculty. Material and methods: A cross sectional analysis has been conducted in which 45 final year students were selected. Of the 45, 45 students participated, yielding a response rate of 100%. Data were collected by Beck Anxiety Scale, Beck Depression Scale and a questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic features. SPSS 22.0 package program was used to analyze the data. The data was examined by using t-test, One way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Mann-Whitney U test and, Ki-kare, p <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: Among the participants 42.2% were women and 60% are studying for the Medical Specialty Exam (MSE). Anxiety was found in 55.6% of the students and depression in 40%. The anxiety scale score averages of those using anxiolytic drugs were found to be significantly higher than those who did not (p = 0.011). The Beck Depression Scale mean scores of those who were prepared for TUS (p = 0.038), those who has more than 2 months for graduation (p = 0.044), those who used anxiolytic medication (p = 0.030) and those who used antidepressant medication (p = 0.046) was significantly higher than the rest of the sample. Conclusion: Students should be monitored continuously and regularly in terms of health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of ESTUDAM Public Health Journal is the property of ESTUDAM Public Health Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Literature Pharmacy Sciences is the property of Turkiye Klinikleri and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Neutropenia, which is defined as a neutrophil count below 1500/ml, is a rare but potentially life-threatening side effect of psychotropic drugs. Neutropenia associated with sertraline, which is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant, has been reported in only five case reports so far. We report a 16-year-old adolescent male diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome who developed severe neutropenia during treatment with sertraline for his depressive and anxious symptoms.

Migren, çocukluk, ergenlik veya erken erişkin dönemde başlayan, sıklıkla bulantı, ışık ve ses duyarlılığı gibi semptomların eşlik ettiği, periyodik aralıklarla gelen zonklayıcı karakterde bir baş ağrısı türüdür. Migrenli hastalarda en çok görülen psikiyatrik bozukluklarda ilk sırada depresyon yer almaktadır. Migren ve depresyon birçok kişiyi etkiler ve yaklaşık %10-15 dolayında benzer prevalansa sahiptir. Migren tedavisi eğer eksik yapılırsa durumun kontrol edilemez olmasının getirdiği çaresizliğin sonucunda hastalarda depresyon ortaya çıkabilmektedir. Migrenin akut ataklarının profilaksi ve tedavisi iki aşamada gerçekleştirilmektedir. Akut atakta; analjezikler ve non-steroid antiinflamatuar ilaçlar, ergot alkoloidleri ve triptanlar kullanılırken, profilaktik tedavide; beta blokörler, antiepileptikler, antidepresanlar, kalsiyum kanal blokörleri gibi ilaçlar kullanılmaktadır. Bu ilaçlarla hastalarda atakların sayısının ve şiddetinin azaltılmasında tam bir başarı elde edilememektedir. Bu sebeple son zamanlarda antidepresan ilaç gruplarının tedavideki yeri araştırılmaktadır. Özellikle depresyon, stres, anksiyete ve uyku bozukluğu ile birlikte sık migren atağı geçirenlerin, profilaktik farmakolojik tedavisinde başta trisiklik antidepresanlar (TSA) olmak üzere, selektif serotonin geri alım inhibitörleri (SSRI) ve selektif serotonin-noradrenalin geri alım inhibitörleri (SNRI) tercih edilmektedir. Bu çalışmamızda migren tedavisinde kullanılan antidepresanların migrenin şiddeti ve süresindeki etkilerini incelemek amaçlanmıştır.

Introduction: The present study aims to investigate a group of young adult psychiatric outpatients’ knowledge of and attitude toward mental disorder and antidepressants, and determine the relevant factors affecting them.Methods: The study included 81 patients attending the psychiatric outpatient clinic, diagnosed with adjustment disorders, depression and/or anxiety disorder based on DSM-5 criteria, and met the research requirements. The data were collected through an information form for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, a form to evaluate the knowledge of and attitudes toward the use of antidepressants, and based on the Beliefs Toward Mental Illness Scale (BMI). Severity of depression and anxiety was evaluated with Beck’s Depression Inventory and Beck’s Anxiety Inventory. Results: Regarding age groups, individuals in the 26-32 age group had higher overall scores. The patients with major depression were found to have higher BMI scores. The linear regression analysis revealed that age, education, depression severity and attitudes toward antidepressants were the factors associated with the overall BMI scoresConclusions: This study suggests that some sociodemographic variables, i.e. (age and educational statue), severity of depression and attitudes toward antidepressants are likely influence the beliefs toward mental disorders. Keywords: Mental disorders, beliefs, attitudes, antidepressants

Migraine is a type of headache with a throbbing character that begins at childhood, adolescence or early adulthood, often accompanied by symptoms such as nausea, light and sound sensitivity. Depression is the most common psychiatric disorder among migraine patients. Migraine and depression affect many people and have a similar prevalence of about 10 and 15%. If migraine treatment is incomplete, depression may occur as a result of the helplessness. Treatment in migraine is carried out in two stages; acute attack and prophylactic treatment. While analgesics, non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs, ergot alkaloids and triptans are used in acute attack, drugs such as beta blockers, antiepileptics, antidepressants are used in prophylactic treatment. The success of these drugs in reducing the number and severity of attacks in patients can not be achieved with full success. Therefore, the effects of different antidepressant drug groups are investigated. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), selective serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) and especially tricyclic antidepressants (TCA) are preferred especially with depression, stress, anxiety and sleep disturbance in the prophylactic pharmacological treatment of patients with frequent migraine attacks. In this study we aimed to investigate the effects of antidepressants used in migraine treatment on the severity and duration of migraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Major depressive disorder is a common psychiatric disorder. The aim of the treatment is to improve daily functions with remissions in symptoms, and antidepressants are the first-line treatments for a major depressive episode (moderate-severe depressive episode). In this paper, the pharmacological properties, clinical efficacy and safety of extended-release trazodone (TzCOAD) are studied. Expert opinion: A single daily dose of TzCOAD may provide similar efficacy and increased tolerability to immediate-release trazodone (TzIR) and other antidepressants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of suicide attempts in children and adolescents who were followed up and treated as a result of suicide attempts and to pay attention to the subject. Methods: We aimed to evaluate the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of children and adolescents who were hospitalized in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of Erciyes University Faculty of Medicine between 2010 and 2015. Also we determined triggering factors, the nature of suicide attempt, drug use. Results: The study included 52 cases with a mean age of 14.5±1.2 years (min: 10.5-maks: 17) and 46 girls (88.5%). Twenty-four (46.1%) of the patients attempted suicide by taking one drug, 28 (53.9%) attempted suicide by taking multiple drugs. Analgesics (42.3%) are the most frequently taken drug group, respectively anti-depressants (28.8%), antihypertensives (15.3%) followed it up. In 24 (46.1%) patients psychiatric evaluations performed during the hospitalization period and no mental problems were detected and they were evaluated as impulsive suicides. Major depression (28.8%) was the most frequent mental disorder in the cases, followed by conduct disorder (11.5%), adjustment disorder (7.6%), impulse control disorder (3.8%). The most common trigger factor was family conflict (53.8%). Conclusion: Identifying the characteristics of suicide attempts and identifying risk factors will guide the follow-up of the cases and take protective measures. It is especially important for adolescents with depression to closely monitor and treat it. In addition, adolescents and families need to be supported in order to prevent impulsive suicide attempts. Precautions should be taken to prevent the access of adolescents to drugs within and outside the home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turk Psikiyatri Dergisi is the property of Turk Psikiyatri Dergisi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Turk Psikiyatri Dergisi is the property of Turk Psikiyatri Dergisi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: In this study, it was aimed to retrospectively evaluate the records of 22 patients who were followed up in intensive care unit between 2015-2018 due to acute intoxication of antidepressants. Material and Methods: Between 01.01.2015 and 15.04.2018 records of patients who diagnosed and treated for acute intoxication of antidepressants and followed up in Harran University Medical Faculty Hospital Adult Intensive Care Unit were retrospectively evaluated. Patients' ages, genders, history, type and number of toxic substances affected, Glaskow Coma Scores, complications, length of stay in intensive care unit and discharge patterns were recorded. Results: 22 patients were included in this study. 4 (18%) of the patients were male, 18 (72%) were female, and F:M ratio was approximately 4.5:1. The most commonly used antidepressant drug group was selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (16; 72.7%). Intoxication cases were mostly existed in November (22.8%), April (13.6%), and May (13.6). 9 (41%) patients were intoxicated with single drug and 13 (59%) had more than one drug ingestion. 21 of the patients were discharged without any complication, and one patient who had tricyclic antidepressant was died. Conclusion: The rapid detection of the agent of the antidepressant drugs and the follow-up of the patients in the intensive care unit with the necessary intervention without losing time are of great importance in reducing the mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) poisonings can cause serious clinical outcome. The Antidepressant Overdose Risk Assessment (ADORA) criteria are used in the assessment of patients with TCA poisoning. However, the data about the benefits of these criteria in mortality and morbidity prediction in the clinical practice are insufficient. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship of ADORA criteria with clinical outcome. Methods: A total of 133 patients who admitted only with TCA poisoning at a university hospital emergency department. The patients were divided into high risk and low risk groups according to ADORA criteria. Results: The median age was 25 (range 18-55) years. Patients commonly used amitryptiline as TCA agent. According to risk classification; 59.4% of the patients were in high risk group. Most common symptom was mydriasis in study group; somnolence was more frequent in high risk group. The most common finding on electrocardiogram was the right axis deviation and the AVR was the R> S finding. The patients were discharged without any complications. As the number of ADORA positive risk scores increased, the length of hospitalization, QTc height and seizure frequency increased. Conclusion: The ADORA criteria is useful in assessment and clinical follow-up of TCA poisoning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The study aimed to retrospectively examine the demographic and etiological characteristics, prognosis and length of stay in intensive care unit of intoxicated patients hospitalized in Level two Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in Maternity and Child Health Hospital of Samsun. Material and Methods: The study retrospectively examined the records of patients hospitalized between 14th March 2014 and 14th March 2015 in Level two Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in Maternity and Child Health Hospital of Samsun with respect to age, gender, cause of poisoning, time of emergency department admission, length of hospitalization and prognosis. Results: Of 82 patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit, 29 (35.3%) were male and 53 (64.6%) were female. The mean age of the male and female patients was 7.89±6.3 years and 11.2±5.7 years, respectively and the mean age of the study group was 10.04±6.1. Twenthy one (39,6%) of the female patients were at the age group of 0-14 years and 32 (60.4%) were at the age group of 14-18 years. Twenthy (68.9%) of the male patients were at the age group of 0-14 years and nine (31.1%) were at the age group of 14-18 years. The cause of poisoning was drug intoxication (antidepressants, antibiotics, painkillers and other drugs) in 64 patients (78%) and the remaining 18 patients (22%) were admitted to hospital for other causes (rat poison, mushroom, carbonmonoxide, scorpion stings, bonzai and pesticides). Thirthy eight (46.3%) of all the patients used such substances for suicidal purpose. Thirthy three (62.2%) of these were female and 32 were at the age group of 14-18 years. Fourty (48.7%) of the patients who ingested medication ingested one drug, while 24 (29.2%) ingested multiple drugs. Antidepressants were found to be the most commonly used drugs (31.2%). The mean hospital admission time was 3.41±2 hours and the mean time of intensive care unit stay was 2.89±1.04 days. No mortality was recorded. Thirthy patients (36.5%) were referred to the Pediatric Psychiatric Unit as outpatients after discharge and three patients (3.6%) were referred to Alcohol and Substance Abuse Treatment and Research Centre. Conclusions: Because the rate of drug intoxication was found to be substantially high in this study, we think that politics related with education of parents on this issue, packaging of drugs in such a way that children can not open these packages and drug supply should be reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the DSM IV, a person who suffers from depressive disorder must either have a depressed mood or a loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities consistently for at least a two week period. In spite of our increasing knowledge about the pathophysiology of depression and the mechanisms of antidepressant treatments, there are some unmet clinical needs like the high rate of lack of response to antidepressants and the time lag before the action of conventional therapeutics. Many agents with effective antidepressant agents action amplify serotonin or norepinephrine signaling by inhibiting reuptake at the synaptic cleft, but they also have many side-effects due to binding to unrelated receptors. Calcium ion is dysregulated in depression. The dihydropyridine calcium channel antagonists in the mouse behavioral despair test was investigated. According to the results there has been affirm that dihydropyridine's may have antidepressant efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We aimed to determine the predictors of remission in major depressive disorder (MDD) with antidepressant treatment (AT). Methods: The subjects were recruited from the databases of the previous four studies. 178 patients were separated in to two groups at the final visit regarding remission. The patients were analyzed in terms of sociodemographic and clinical features regardless of their AT. Results: The difference in sociodemographic and clinical features was insignificant between the groups. Remitted patients had lower scores on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), Montgomery-Asberg Depression Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, and the Clinical Global Impression Scale compared to baseline whereas Social Adaptation Self-evaluation Scale (SASS) scores were higher. To evaluate the impact of basal scores of HDRS and SASS on non remission rates, logistic regression analysis was performed. The analysis result was significant (p<0.001). Valid classification rate was 66% for this model. For this model, the scores of HDRS and SASS at visit 1 are significant risk factors for non-remission (p<0.001). As the value of HDRS increases, the risk of non-remission increases 1.095 fold (Odds ratio 95%, confidence interval: 1.045-1.147), whereas as the value of SASS decreases the risk of non-remission increases 1,076 fold (Odds ratio 95%, confidence interval: 1.042-1.114). For each patient, non-remission possibility can be predicted by "p(non remission)=1/[(1+exp (-0,093×V1HDRS+0,075×V1SASS)]" equivalent via this model. Conclusion: The findings of the present study suggest that severe level of depression, anxiety and social maladaptation at baseline are more likely to predict remission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turk Psikiyatri Dergisi is the property of Turk Psikiyatri Dergisi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Common adverse effects associated with antidepressants such as headache, nause or vomitting, sedation, insomnia and sexual dysfunction are well known; however our knowledge about the relationship between antidepressants and akathisia is limited. Akathisia is a severe side effect and it is commonly considered as a side effect of conventional antipsychotics. Recognizing akathisia is very important in terms of preventing possible suicide attempts. In this article, we aimed to present general information about akathisia and to review its relationship with antidepressant treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In their daily practice, psychiatrists often experience gastric complaints in patients beside psychiatric disorders. Peptic ulcer is one of the diseases, which accompany to psychiatric disorders including mainly depression. It is shown that antidepressants can inflame the bleedings including gastrointestinal (GI) bleedings, while they have positive effect on ulcer healing. In this review, studies, which conducted about the positive or negative effects of antidepressant drugs on ulcer treatment were examined. Accordingly; it was found that opipramol, amitriptyline, imipramine that of tricyclic antidepressants was found to be helpful in healing of the ulcer. It was stated that Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors generally inflamed ulcers, exceptionally fluvoxamine and fluoxetine reduced ulcer; moclobemide that of monoamine-oxidase inhibitor and tianeptine and mirtazapine that of atypical antidepressants had positive effect in ulcer healing. To be careful in choosing the appropriate antidepressant in psychiatric patients with gastric ulcer is important in the prognosis of both ulcer and depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the epidemiological and demographic features and prognosis of all patients admitted to the emergency department and followed in intensive care unit due to poisoning. Methods: We resrospectively evaluated the patients over 14 years of age, who attended to the emergency department and was followed in our intensive care unit due to poisoning, were evaluated according to their demographic characteristics, anamnesis and prognosis. Results: Of 1894 patients, who were admitted to the emergency department, 1034 were female (54.8%). The mean age was 32.76±14.88 years. 36.4% of these patients were suicide attempters. Three hundred twenty-eight patients (17.3%) were admitted to the intensive care unit. Two hundred thirty-four (17.3%) were females and the mean age was 27.98±13.87 years. Of those patients, 263 (80.2%) were treated for drug intoxications, 33 (10.1%) for carbonmonoxide (CO) intoxications, 18 (5.5%) for food intoxications, 4 (1.2%) for insecticide poisoning, 4 (1.2%) for bee sting, 3 (0.9%) for rat poison intoxications, 1 (0,3%) for alcohol intoxication, and 1 (0.3%) was treated for snakebite. 80.5% of them were suicide attempters. The most frequently taken drugs were antidepressants (25.8%). Conclusion: Intoxication cases admitted to the emergency department and intensive care unit were mostly young women, and drug overdose was the most common attempted method of suicide. The most frequent used drugs were antidepressants. In this study, we determined the patient profile of intoxication in Sivas province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We aimed to determine the predictors of remission in major depressive disorder (MDD) with antidepressant treatment (AT). Methods: The subjects were recruited from the databases of the previous four studies. 178 patients were separated in to two groups at the final visit regarding remission. The patients were analyzed in terms of sociodemographic and clinical features regardless of their AT. Results: The difference in sociodemographic and clinical features was insignificant between the groups. Remitted patients had lower scores on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), Montgomery-Asberg Depression Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, and the Clinical Global Impression Scale compared to baseline whereas Social Adaptation Self-evaluation Scale (SASS) scores were higher. To evaluate the impact of basal scores of HDRS and SASS on non remission rates, logistic regression analysis was performed. The analysis result was significant (p<0.001). Valid classification rate was 66% for this model. For this model, the scores of HDRS and SASS at visit 1 are significant risk factors for non-remission (p<0.001). As the value of HDRS increases, the risk of nonremission increases 1.095 fold (Odds ratio 95%, confidence interval: 1.045-1.147), whereas as the value of SASS decreases the risk of non-remission increases 1,076 fold (Odds ratio 95%, confidence interval: 1.042-1.114). For each patient, non-remission possibility can be predicted by "p(non remission)=1/[(1+exp (-0,093×V1HDRS+0,075×V1SASS)]" equivalent via this model. Conclusion: The findings of the present study suggest that severe level of depression, anxiety and social maladaptation at baseline are more likely to predict remission. (Archives of Neuropsychiatry 2013; 50: 122-129) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aimed to examine the effect of admission time from emergency department (ED) to intensive care unit (ICU) on mortality, the length of ICU and hospital stays in intoxication patients. Material and Method: A retrospective medical record review of 129 patients were performed. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on admission time from ED to ICU: group I (≤2 hours) or group II (>2 hours). Patient demographic and clinical data were recorded. Results: There were 84 female and 45 male patients whose mean age was 30.48±13.57 years. The most common causes of intoxication were tricyclic antidepressants (34.5%), paracetamol (17.4%) and carbon monoxide (11.6%). At the time of ED presentation, 26.8% of patients had a Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) 8 or below. The admission time from ED to ICU was ≤2 hours in 44 patients (37.9%) and >2 hours in 85 patients (62.1%). Both groups were comparable in demographics, the causes of intoxication and the time of ED presentation. There were no statistically signif cant difference between group I (≤2 hours) or group II (>2 hours) according to the time of entubation, the length of ICU and hospital stays and mortality. The only parameter that was found to have a statistically significant effect on mortality was GCS at the time of ED presentation (p<0.05). Conclusion: In our study, expedited admission to ICU (≤ 2 hours) did not cause any statistically significant difference on outcome in intoxication patients. The only parameter that was found to have a statistically significant effect on mortality was GCS at the time of ED presentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Today it is known that frequently used antineoplastic agents, analgesics and antibiotics affect the immune system cells and can modify polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) functions such as phagocytosis, lymphocyte proliferation and production of various cytokines. In this study we investigated the effect of antidepresssant drugs on PMN functions, serum folic acid, vitamin Bl2, zinc, copper levels and hematological parameters in the patients with major depression (MD). Material and Method: PMNs were isolated by Ficoll-Hypaque gradient centrifugation method. Phagocytosis and intracellular killing activity were assayed by modifying Alexander's method. Serum folic acid, vitamin B12, copper and hematology parameters were detected with the biochemical analyzer. Serum zinc levels were measured by flame atomic absorption spectrometer. Results: White blood cell (WBC), neutrophil counts (NE) significantly increased after 2 months of antidepressant drug treatment (p<0.05). The phagocytic activity of PMN of MD patients was found same as healthy volunteers, the intracellular killing activity was found lower than that of healthy volunteers. The PMN's phagocytic activity after one and two months of antidepressant drug treatment insignificantly increased and the intracellular killing activity also insignificantly increased after one month of treatment when compared with those before treatment. The results were not found statistically significant. Serum folic acid, vitamin B12, zinc and copper levels were found in reference value intervals compared to those before treatment. Conclusions: This study showed that WBC, NE counts in patients with MD significantly increased in the reference value intervals after antidepressant drug treatment (p<0.05). We conclude that antidepressant drugs have not deleterious effects on PMN functions, serum folic acid, vitamin B12, zinc, copper levels of patients with MD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Emergency reports show that acute intoxication involves 7-10 % of all patients applying the emergency department and a group of these patients were followed in intensive care units. The aim of this study is to examine 264 patients who were diagnosed and followed as intoxications between 2010-2011 years in our intensive care unit. Methods: In this study 264 patients who were diagnosed and followed as drug intoxication between 2010-2011 years in Şanlıurfa Balıklıgöl Hospital intensive care unit were investigated. Results: One hundred and ninety-two of patients were female (72,7%), and seventy-two were male (27,3%); female : male ratio was 2,6:1. The most common intoxication reason was drugs. Frequently used drugs were antidepressants (88 patient, 36,36%). Eight of them were intubated for respiratory depression. Two hundred sixty of them were discharged from hospital (98,4%), 1 of them were transported to another unit (0,37%) and 3 of them were died (1,13%). Conclusions: As a result, we decided that antidepressant drug use is the most frequent reason of intoxication in intensive care units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute angle closure glaucoma (AACG) is sudden closure of all or nearly all of 360 degrees of iridocorneal angle by the iris. Especially tricyclic antidepressants induced AACG in prone eyes to AACG is a well-known phenomenon. Anticholinergic effects of tricyclic antidepressants have been provoked pupil dilation (mydriasis) and cycloplegia occurs. Mydriasis is generally transient and no major consequences are occurred, however in prone eyes it is caused AACG. Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs) have weak anticholinergic effects. Mydriasis and relative blockade of the anterior chamber angle induced by anticholinergic/noradrenergic and serotonergic effects of SSG< drugs may increase intraocular pressure. Serotoninergic, anticholinergic or weakadrenergic effects of SNG<'s may lead to an active mydriasis. Before starting antidepressant treatment AACG risk factors should be considered and if it's necessary; eye examination should be performed. Follow-up of predisposed individuals to AACG must be performed by psychiatrists and ophthalmologists together. If it is necessary prophylactic laser iridotomy should be performed; in this way antidepressant treatment should be continued and the risk of AACG should be reduced. In this study, we have investigated how antidepressant drugs may cause AACG, points to be considered for the prevention of AACG during antidepressant treatment and treatment of AACG in the light of the current literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study it was aimed to determine the psychotropics and non-pharmacological treatment options used in treatment of children and adolescents applied to a child and adolescent psychiatric outpatient clinic. Medical records of 538 patients referred to the Children and Adolescent Psychiatry outpatient clinic between January 2009 and June 2009 were studied retrospectively. More than half of the cases were prescribed psychotropic medications. The most commonly prescribed medications were in descending order of frequency are antidepressants, psychostimulants, antipsychotics and anxiolytics. SSRIs are the most common choice within antidepressants. Sertraline and fluoxetine are the most common prescribed SSRIs. Short acting methylphenidate was the most common prescribed stimulant and risperidone was the most common prescribed antipsychotic. About half of the cases were applied non-pharmacological treatment options. Giving counseling was the most common treatment choice within non-pharmacological treatment options. To know the most common treatment choices will help child and adolescent psychiatrists in treatment applications. The results of this study need to be supported with investigations which include more cases in subgroups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is often associated with the use of antidepressants. However there is limited number of research about this association. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between antidepressant (AD) use and Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS). Methods: 247 patients diagnosed with depression and anxiety disorders were included in this study. A semi-structured data form was applied to all participants to assess socio-demographic and clinical characteristics. In this form, main four criteria proposed by International Study Group for RLS were used to determine RLS. For differential diagnosis of RLS, researchers interviewed patients who responded positively to all of the four questions. Results: Among patients who are included in the study, 41 (17.3%) patients were diagnosed with RLS. In 35 of these patients (85.4% of the whole group), RLS is found to appear or increase with the use of antidepressants. In patients with the diagnosis of RLS, selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI) were the mostly used antidepressant group. Mostly used antidepressants were essitalopram, trazodone and venlafaxine. The evaluation made in the whole group and separately in the male and female groups revealed that use of SSRIs, selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRI) or tricyclic antidepressants (TCA) was not related with RLS. In females, use of trazodone and combined therapy of trazodone and ADs increased the risk of RLS significantly. Discussion: The results of our study suggested that occurrence of RLS is especially common in patients using SSRIs, but use of SSRIs, SNRIs or TCAs were not significant risk factors for the development of RLS. In female patients, use of traodone increased RLS risk, and increased risk was found to be especially associated with combination treatment. In the combination treatment, alterations in the drug metabolism may contribute to the development of RLS with ADs. Also the effect of trazodone and its active metabolite m-chloropiperazine on serotonin may be associated with the increased risk of RLS. An increase in RLS risk should be considered in occasions when clinicians prefer trazodone in combination treatment such as insomnia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To determine reasons for adolescent suicide attempts and to investigate renal functions in adolescents admitted to Emergency Service after a suicide attempt. Methods: A total of 148 cases were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Data were collected from hospital records and from "Emergency Services Suicide Attempts Data Form". The variables of the study were sociodemographic characteristics, reasons for suicidal attempts, drugs used, medical procedures, and prognosis of the patients. The descriptive findings are presented as the evaluation of distributions. Chi-square and t-tests were used for analysis of variables. Results: The mean age of 148 adolescents was 16.7 years. 84.3% of subjects were female. Adolescent suicides were common in subjects older than 15 years of age. Suicides in January and July were more frequent than in the other months. The time interval between poisoning and admission to hospital was 0-3 hours. The leading cause of suicidal attempts was family problems (33.8%). Antidepressants were the most commonly used drugs in suicide attempts. Although, some ion disturbances were detected in some patients, renal failure or renal dysfunction was not observed in any subject. Conclusion: Family problems were the most significant risk factor for adolescent suicide. Immediate transportation to emergency services and early treatment were important for the prevention of multiorgan deficiency and renal failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects and side effects of electroconvulsive therapy have been a subject of debate since the beginning of its use to treat psychiatric disorders. As its anti-depressant mechanism of action has been topic of many researches, many valuable findings were obtained ever since. However, methodological differ-ences and different application protocols limited the accumulation of scientif-ic data. Anticonvulsant effect and elevation of seizure threshold have been taken as outcome measures in many researches although it is still controver-sial. Some variables of treated disorders also may have affected researches. The aim of this article was to investigate current literature regarding application protocols and mechanism of action of electroconvulsive therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronary artery disease and depression are accepted as a growing epidemic worldwide. There are many studies that shows depression is a poor prognostic factor for cardiovascular disease and vice versa. Current guidelines recommend depression screening in patients with cardiovascular disease but there is no scientific basis for this recommendation. In addition, there are publications indicating that treatment for depression does not improve cardiovascular outcomes. Furthermore, some antidepressant medications are shown to increase cardiovascular mortality. In this review, we would like to discuss and summarize the studies on this relationship between coronary artery disease and depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study is to define the clinical features that affect the antidepressant treatment response by comparing the cases that responded and did not respond to the antidepressant treatment. Methods: Among the patients admitted to the GATA Department of Psychiatry, the ones who were diagnosed with major depressive disorder and have given antidepressant treatment were included to the study. Sociodemographic information form, SCID-I, SCID-II, and Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D) were used for the initial assessment. HAM-D scale was repeated at the second, fourth and sixth weeks of the treatment. The cases, whose HAM-D scale scores were reduced 50% or more, were defined as the responders to antidepressant treatment and were compared with non-responders based on their clinical features. Results: At the end of the sixth week of the treatment, 73 (83.9%) of the 87 depression cases responded to the treatment and 14 (16.1%) of them did not respond. The severity of the depression was higher and there were more comorbid Axis-I and Axis-II diagnoses in the non-responders group compared to the responders group. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of the comorbid physical illnesses, the number of depression episodes and the age of onset of the disease. Conclusion: As a result, the severity of the depression and the comorbidity of Axis-I and Axis-II diagnoses were determined as the clinical features which negatively affect the response to the antidepressant treatment. These clinical features could be evaluated as possible indicators of poorer outcomes of antidepressant treatments and therefore considering other treatment options might be important at the beginning of the treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Factitious disorder is defined as production of physical and/or psychological symptoms intenti-onally with the aim of assuming the patient role. It is presented as consciously simulation of physi-cal signs and symptoms, or psychological signs and symptoms or both. Factitious disorder is diffe-rentiated from malingering as there is no purposeful pursuit of pragmatic gain (obtaining finan-cial gain, evading criminal prosecution etc.). There are no specific diagnostic criteria or specific tre-atment modality for factitious disorder with predominantly psychiatric signs and symptoms and it has poor prognosis. In this case, we present a 28 year old female patient who has symptoms for 7 years, has been diagnosed with many psychiatric illnesses, has given no response to antidepres-sant, antiepileptic, antipsychotic drug treatment given in adequate time and dosage, had no res-ponse to electroconvulsive therapy, had been hospitalized for 4 times and we discussed the case in the light of the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Prevalence of personality disorders have been reported as 10-13% in general population, 30-50% in psychiatric patients, and 15% in psychiatric outpatients. The most common personality disorders are respectively borderline, antisocial, schizotypal, and avoidant. There has been no specific pharmacological approach for the treatment of personality disorders that have different clinical features with various co-morbid psychiatric disorders. The aim of this report is to review the efficacy of psychotropic medications used for the treatment of personality disorders. Methods: By using "borderline, antisocial, schizotypal, narcissistic, obsessive compulsive, avoidant personality, and pharmacotherapy" as keywords at the Pubmed database we primarily searched for the double blind, placebo controlled, randomized trials and also included some of the open label trials. Results: Most of the research on this topic was on pharmacotherapy of borderline personality disorder. Polypharmacy, that has been used widely in treatment of these cases, has been reported ineffective in most of the patients. The antidepressants have been replaced by mood stabilizers. The antidepressants and mood stabilizers have been reported to decrease mood symptoms like anger, depression, dysphoria, and to enhance adherence to psychotherapy. The most effective mood stabilizer was divalproex. The antipsychotics have been recommended to be used at psychotic and behavioral symptomatology. At the treatment of antisocial personality disorder CBT is recommended and there was no evidence based pharmacotherapy. In the treatment of schizotypal personality disorder, the antipsychotics have been reported effective. Pergolide and guanfacine have been reported to be useful in the treatment of cognitive disorders. The first line treatment options of avoidant personality disorder are venlafaxine and SSRIs. Conclusions: Most of the studies in literature have been focused at borderline personality disorder that has been difficult to treat. According to the guidelines, psychotherapy is the first line treatment for personality disorders. Pharmacotherapy has been reported to increase the efficiency of psychotherapy in BPD which presents with various symptoms of mood, cognition, and behavior. The studies in the literature report that Polypharmacy is not useful for these patients contrary to the popular belief. The research about other personality disorders is limited. More clear understanding of etiopathogenesis of personality disorders; would be helpful in development of more effective pharmacological agents in their treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serotonin syndrome (SS) is a potentially life-threatening adverse drug reaction caused by excessive serotonergic agonism. SS is the result of overstimulation of 5-HT1A receptors by serotonergic agents. The symptoms are characterized by a triad of neuroexcitatory features, which include neuromuscular hyperactivity, autonomic hyperactivity, and altered mental status. Many drugs have been associated with SS mainly antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI), and tricyclic antidepressants (TCA). SS usually occurs when these agents are used in combination or at high doses. Moreover, the addition of drugs that inhibit cytochrome P450 to a medication regimen which includes theses antidepressants has been associated with SS by increasing the serotonin concentration. Here, we report a case of SS as a result of the pharmacokinetic interaction between duloxetine and ciprofloxacin. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of SS associated with the duloxetine and ciprofloxacin combination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In our research, it was aimed to establish the sociodemographic and the clinical characteristics of the patients over the age of 60 who were admitted to the psychiatric emergency department of Bakirkoy Research and Training Hospital as well as the utilization of the emergency department and the gender differences between them. Methods: Eight hundred and seventy-one patients who were admitted to the psychiatric emergency unit between 1st June 2008 and 1st June 2009 were evaluated retrospectively with the medical records and computer based data. Results: Sixty years or older patients were turned out to be the 8.2% of all patients admitted to the psychiatric emergency unit during that period of time. 59.4% of the group was female, and the mean age of women was 68.7 men's was 69.0. Being uneducated, divorced and admitted with family members were at higher rates within women. On the other hand the rates of being graduated from primary school, married and admitted the emergency unit by themselves were higher in men. The women were more distressed and complained more about somatic symptoms as the men turned out to show more physical and /or verbal violence and psychotic symptoms. Women were more likely diagnosed with psychotic disorders, dementia and bipolar mood disorders. Hospitalization rates were significantly higher in men's group. The rate of the antidepressant prescriptions was higher for women and for men it turned out to be antipsychotics. Twice or more admissions to psychiatric emergency service in one year was 19.9% of all. Result: The older population is growing as the average life time is getting longer. Determining the characteristics of psychiatric emergency service admissions of older patients is important the assessing psychiatric, medical and social needs of this special group. In our study it is established that the admission rates to psychiatry emergency service amongst women are higher and they are more likely admitting with distress and somatic complaints. They are more likely diagnosed with depression and anxiety disorders and they are less likely hospitalized than men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depression is a complex disease with heterogeneous pathology and many of the core symptoms such as feelings of hopelessness and low self-esteem are not easily reproduced in animals. Current antidepressant drugs either fail to produce complete recovery or induce unwanted side effects, so there is still a large unmet clinical need in the treatments for depression. The development of antidepressants requires simple rodent behavioral tests for initial screening before undertaking more complex preclinical tests. Presented in this publish are three widely used screening tests used for antidepressants, the forced swim test, tail suspension test and learned helplessness test. Especially forced swim test, has become a useful test for screening novel antidepressants and continues to form the basis for primary screening of psychoactive compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In this study, it is aimed to investigate the effects of stress and antidepressant drug treatment on learning and memory in rats. Method: 24 male Wistar albino adult rats were randomly divided into four groups as stressful- medicated (Group I), stressful- drug-free (Group II), stress-free-medicated (Group III) stress-free-drugfree (Group IV). For stress model, rats were stayed in 16°C for 30 min. Fluoxetine hydrochloride (FLX; Prozac, 10mg/kg/day) by gavage as antidepressant. Learning tests were performed in Morris water maze. Rats were swam in the tank, the rats were investigated finding time the escape platform. Results: Time to find platform with respect to days was consistently decreased in Group I and III although in Group II rats were stayed immobile for a long time in maze and in this group time to find platform was irregular and too long. Decrease of time to find platform in Group IV was significant while the difference between other days was fewer. In day 34, time to find platform was prolonged within each group and staying immobile due to stress was remained. Conclusion: Use of fluoxetine hydrochloride in stress-free conditions significantly effects learning positively by day; in stressful conditions fluoxetine hydrochloride treatment decreased negative effects of stress on learning and impaired inactivity pattern. 30 days after quitting drug treatment, fluoxetine hydrochloride did not affect the consolidation of long-term memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suicide is one of the major causes of premature death among patients with schizophrenia. Follow-up studies have estimated that 4-5% of these patients die by suicide. Reducing the high rates of suicide in schizophrenia is possible with understanding of predictive risk factors. Various studies have identified risk factors for suicide in schizophrenia patients. Clinical risk factors include previous suicide attempts, comorbid depression, feelings of hopelessness, concept of insight and substance abuse. Biopsychosocial factors, such as a high intelligence quotient and high level of premorbid functioning, have also been associated with an increased risk of suicide in patients with schizophrenia. The risk of suicide is considered to be highest in the early course of illness. Antipsychotic drugs, in particular clozapine and antidepressants may be helpful in reducing the risk of suicide in schizophrenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In the treatment of major depressive disorder, in addition to the remission of symptoms, improvement in functionality and subjective quality of life of the patients is desirable. In this study, we aimed to evaluate and compare the changes in quality of life measures in citalopram- versus escitalopram-treated major depressive disorder patients, and to compare the scores of the patients who achieved remission at the end of treatment with standard scores of the Turkish population. Methods: The study was carried out in 74 outpatients with major depressive disorder. The mean age was 40.6 in the citalopram group and 24 (63.5%) of them were female. In the escitalopram group, the mean age was 38.6 and 62.2% of the group were female. Duration of illness was 3.19 years in the citalopram group and 3.49 years in escitalopram group. In the citalopram group 54.1% of the patients experienced single episodes, while 81.1% of the escitalopram group had single episodes. To assess the severity of depression, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) was utilized. For the assessment of quality of life, Short Form-36 (SF-36) and EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) were used. Patients were randomized to either citalopram or escitalopram for the treatment and evaluated at the 2nd, 4th and 6th weeks. Citalopram was started at a dose of 20 mg/day, and escitalopram was started at a dose of 10 mg/day. Treatment response was accepted as a 50% decrease in the index assessment and remission was accepted as HAM-D≤7. After the 2nd week, in patients without a decrease of more than 25% in HAM-D scores as a treatment response, the medication dose was raised by 50%. In the statistical analyses, the T Test was performed for groups with normal distribution, whereas for groups without normal distribution, the Mann-Whitney U Test was performed. In addition for the assessment of change in the parameters, Cohen's d Test was calculated for effect size. Results: At the end of the 6th week, the mean dose for the citalopram treated patients was 24.6 mg/day and for the escitalopram treated patients it was 11.8 mg/day. All patients responded and the remission rate (HAM-D≤7) was 63.5%. There was no statistical difference between the treatment groups in terms of response and remission. In the quality of life measures, all domain scores of both SF-36 and EQ-5D were found to improve significantly starting at the 4th week. The two treatment groups did not differ in terms of quality of life variables, but in the 2nd week in the escitalopram group more parameters of quality of life were found to be improved. At the end of the 6th week, even though the patients had significantly increased scores, the effect size for all parameters was moderate. Patients who reached remission in both treatment groups (n=53) still had lower scores in the domains of SF-36 such as general health perception, social functioning, and emotional role difficulties compared to the standard values of Turkish population. Patients with recurrent episodes had more impairment at the end of the acute treatment. Conclusions: There was no significant difference between citalopram and escitalopram regarding the decrease in quality of life scores. While the scores of quality of life and functioning measures increased significantly, normalization was not obtained in either group in terms of quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Childhood poisoning is a frequently seen health problem in our country. In this study; determination of epidemiological and clinical features of childhood poisoning in our region and for the necessary measures aimed inferences. Material and Method: In this study; epidemiologic features of 233 cases who applied to the Pediatrics Emergency Unit of Kahramanmaras Sütcü Imam University Faculty of Medicine between the years 2003-2009 were evaluated with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 16.0 (IBM Company Chicago, Illinois) statistic program retrospectively. Results: The ratio of poisoning cases to all pediatric emergency admissions was 1.14%. The gender distribution was 60.5% male and 39.5% female and the ratio of male/female 1.5/1. The highest proportion of poisoning was in the 7 months-4 years of age group (73.8%). Most commonly poisoning agents had been received by of the gastrointestinal route (91%) and accidently (97%). The most common factor leading to intoxication was non-pharmacological agents (54.9%). These were in order of frequency caustic-corrosive substances (25.3%), insecticides and pesticides (7.3%), carbon monoxide (6%), hydrocarbons (5.2%), rat poison (2.6%), fungi (2.6%), and herbal products (2.6%). Pharmacological agents that caused intoxication were the second most common (41.2%) factor. These were, respectively, antidepressants (15.5%), iron-containing medications (3%), antipsychotics (2.6%), anticholinergic (1.7%), paracetamol (1.7%), cardiovascular system drugs (1.7%), and gastrointestinal drugs (1.7%). Conclusions: In our region the most common poisoning agents were drugs followed by caustic-corrosive substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this case report is to share our clinical experience with four patients who use antidepressant drugs and apply to our emergency department with acute angle-closure glaucoma. We studied eight eyes of four patients and only one patient had a history of glaucoma treatment. We applied YAG-laser iridotomy to four eyes, trabeculectomy to two eyes, cataract surgery to two eyes and continued to topical anti glaucoma medication in six eyes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pregnancy is a turbulent period, during which hormonal and psychosocial lifestyle changes occur. Hence depression, anxiety disorders, or obsessive-compulsive disorders can be triggered and chronic psychiatric disorders can be exacerbated, particularly, due to limitations on the use of psychotropic drugs. Considering a large percentage of pregnancies are not planned, overcoming these challenges creates difficulties for both the pregnant women and the team providing health care services. There are contradictory findings about the safety of psychotropic drugs and their use in the treatment of psychiatric disorders during pregnancy. The benefits and risks of psychopharmacological treatment during pregnancy should be considered carefully. When psychotropic drugs are given to pregnant women they easily reach fetüs, as there are no barriers between maternal and placental blood. Generally higher serum drug levels are detected in newborns than in maternal serum. Therefore in deciding on psychotropic drug use during pregnancy, the risks of neonatal toxicity, premature and still births, and morphological and behavioral teratogenicity must be taken into account. In addition not only anatomical malformations, but also long-term behavioral teratogenicity of the drugs must be considered while evaluating the safety of drug use during pregnancy. The classical antipsychotics and tricyclic antidepressants (except chlomipramine) are relatively safe for the fetus. Antidepressant use is associated with the risk of anomalies during almost all of the prenatal period; however, the risk appears to be especially increased in fetüses that have been exposed to paroxetine and chlomipramine. There are significant findings that many atypical antipschotics cause an increase in the rate of fetal malformations by provoking gestational diabetes. Therefore, women who wish to become pregnant, who have been on ongoing atypical antipsychotic treatment before pregnancy, should always be switched to conventional antipsychotics upon the beginning of pregnancy. Benzodiazepines used during the first trimester can be teratogenic and can cause withdrawal symptoms in high doses in newborns, hypotonia, and agitation. The mood stabilizers (carbamazepine, valproate, similar anticonvulsants, and lithium) have been known to possess high teratogenic risk for a long time. However, the teratogenicity risk for lithium has recently been decreased. On the other hand, the use of valproate during pregnancy has a strong association with the risk of fetal abnormalities and autism-spectrum disorders. For these reasons, the uses of clomipramine, paroxetine, valproate, and atypical antipsychotics are recommended to be avoided during pregnancy. If there is a need for long-term use of psychotropic drugs during pregnancy, a full assessment should be conducted, polypharmacy and unnecessary medication use should be avoided, and the doses of psychotropic drugs should be kept to a minimum, because there are rarely valid reasons to discontinue medications that are necessary during pregnancy. In this paper, we aimed to update psychotropic drug use during pregnancy, an important and common issue in daily psychiatry practice, in the light of recent data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]