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Background: Little is known from India about the experience of using olanzapine long-acting antipsychotic injectables (LAI). In this background, this study aimed to evaluate the clinical profile of patients suffering from schizophrenia who were prescribed olanzapine LAI and to evaluate the usefulness and acceptability of olanzapine LAI among these patients. Methods: In this retrospective study, data of all the patients with schizophrenia receiving olanzapine pamoate, was extracted. Results: 40 patients (males-55%; mean [SD] age-36.2 (12) years; mean duration of illness (SD) prior to depot-143.3 (115.9) months) were included in the study. Olanzapine LAI was invariably prescribed in patients with a past history of non-compliance. Data was available for a mean (SD) follow-up duration of 17 (10.8) months. The most frequently used dose of olanzapine LAI used was 300 mg every two weeks (55%). This was followed by 405 mg every four weeks in (32.5%). Mean Clinical Global Impression (CGI) Severity score prior to starting of olanzapine LAI was 5.8 (0.7), which reduced to 2.7 (1.1) at the time of last follow-up or the last use of olanzapine LAI, and this was a statistically significant improvement (paired t-test value = 16.41; P < 0.001). Only one (2.5%) patient experienced Post injection Delirium/Sedation Syndrome during the study period. Only one patient was hospitalized after starting depot olanzapine. Conclusion: Olanzapine LAI is mostly used in patients with a history of non-compliance. Olanzapine LAI is associated with a significant reduction in the severity of illness.

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Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is one of the safest treatment options for psychiatric illnesses with no absolute contraindications. However, certain medical conditions including cardiac ailments such as aortic stenosis are associated with increased risk with ECT. We present the case of a 74-year-old female who was suffering from severe depression with psychotic symptoms (which had not responded to two adequate trials of antidepressants), along with severe aortic stenosis, who was managed with modified bilateral ECT and review the available literature.

There is limited literature on olanzapine-associated thrombocytopenia. In this report, we present a case of a 32-year-old female, suffering from persistent delusional disorder who had thrombocytopenia (46,000/mm3) with the use of olanzapine 25 mg/day, 6 weeks after starting medication. Blood film did not reveal any evidence of any dysplastic cells, disturbance in the count of other cell lines, and autoimmune workup including antinuclear antibodies and anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies were found to be negative. Given no other etiology, olanzapine was gradually tapered, and platelet counts were monitored. Reduction in the dose of olanzapine led to an improvement in platelet counts which reached the normal range after complete stoppage of olanzapine. In view of continued psychotic symptoms, she was started on clozapine and which was gradually increased to 200 mg/day with biweekly monitoring of total platelet counts before each increment in the dose of clozapine. Thrombocytopenia did not recur with use of clozapine. With clozapine, her psychosis improved by nearly 60%. A review of literature revealed only eight case reports supporting the association of olanzapine and thrombocytopenia.