The primary aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the proportion of patients with Treatment Resistant Schizophrenia (TRS) that respond to ECT augmentation of clozapine (C+ECT). We searched major electronic databases from 1980 to July 2015. We conducted a random effects meta-analysis reporting the proportion of responders to C+ECT in RCTs and open-label trials. Five clinical trials met our eligibility criteria, allowing us to pool data from 71 people with TRS who underwent C+ ECT across 4 open label trials (n=32) and 1 RCT (n=39). The overall pooled proportion of response to C+ECT was 54%, (95% CI: 21.8-83.6%) with some heterogeneity evident (I(2)=69%). With data from retrospective chart reviews, case series and case reports, 192 people treated with C+ECT were included. All studies together demonstrated an overall response to C+ECT of 66% (95% CI: 57.5-74.3%) (83 out of 126 patients responded to C+ECT). The mean number of ECT treatments used to augment clozapine was 11.3. 32% of cases (20 out of 62 patients) with follow up data (range of follow up: 3-468weeks) relapsed following cessation of ECT. Adverse events were reported in 14% of identified cases (24 out of 166 patients). There is a paucity of controlled studies in the literature, with only one single blinded randomised controlled study located, and the predominance of open label trials used in the meta-analysis is a limitation. The data suggests that ECT may be an effective and safe clozapine augmentation strategy in TRS. A higher number of ECT treatments may be required than is standard for other clinical indications. Further research is needed before ECT can be included in standard TRS treatment algorithms.

BackgroundIncidents of absconsion in forensic psychiatric units can have potentially serious consequences, yet surprisingly little is known about the characteristics of patients who abscond from these settings. The few previous studies conducted to date have employed retrospective designs, and no attempt has been made to develop an empirically-derived risk assessment scale. In this prospective study, we aimed to identify predictors of absconsion over a two-year period and investigate the feasibility of developing a brief risk assessment scale.MethodsThe study examined a representative sample of 135 patients treated in forensic medium- and low-secure wards. At baseline, demographic, clinical, treatment-related, and offending/behavioural factors were ascertained from electronic medical records and the treating teams. Incidents of absconsion (i.e., failure to return from leave, incidents of escape, and absconding whilst on escorted leave) were assessed at a two-year follow-up. Logistic regression analyses were used to determine the strongest predictors of absconsion which were then weighted according to their ability to discriminate absconders and non-absconders. The predictive utility of a brief risk assessment scale based on these weighted items was evaluated using receiver operator characteristics (ROC).ResultsDuring the two-year follow-up period, 27 patients (20%) absconded, accounting for 56 separate incidents. In multivariate analyses, four factors relating to offending and behaviour emerged as the strongest predictors of absconsion: history of sexual offending, previous absconsion, recent inpatient verbal aggression, and recent inpatient substance use. The weighted risk scale derived from these factors had moderate-to-good predictive accuracy (ROC area under the curve: 0.80; sensitivity: 067; specificity: 0.71), a high negative predictive value (0.91), but a low positive predictive value (0.34).ConclusionPotentially-targetable recent behaviours, such as inpatient verbal aggression and substance use, are strong predictors of absconsion in forensic settings; the absence of these factors may enable clinical teams to identify unnecessarily restricted low-risk individuals.

National information on mental health services in the Philippines indicates that there are substantial gaps and inconsistencies in the delivery of mental healthcare. The recently enacted Mental Health Act legislation provides a platform for the delivery of comprehensive and integrated mental health services. However, there remain many challenges in the provision of accessible and affordable mental healthcare.

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Surveillance based on health plan data identified more postoperative infections, including those occurring before discharge, than did hospital-based surveillance. Screening administrative data and pharmacy activity may be an important adjunct to SSI surveillance, allowing efficient comparison of hospital-specific rates. Interpretation of differences among hospitals' infection rates requires case mix adjustment and understanding of variations in hospitals' discharge diagnosis coding practices.