Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40302178›Full record

Observational studyPharmacology research & perspectives2025

Psychotropic Polypharmacy and QT Prolonging Medications in Hospitalized Patients.

Joel Moore, Isabella Singh, Ruby Tszwai Au, Genevieve Gabb, Joanne Eng-Frost, Elizabeth Hotham, Sepehr Shakib, Vijayaprakash Suppiah

Abstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in Pharmacology research & perspectives, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Joel MooreUniSA Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Isabella SinghUniSA Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Ruby Tszwai AuUniSA Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Genevieve GabbDepartment of Cardiovascular Medicine, Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia.
Joanne Eng-FrostDepartment of Cardiovascular Medicine, Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia.
Elizabeth HothamUniSA Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Sepehr ShakibDepartment of Clinical Pharmacology, The Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Vijayaprakash SuppiahUniSA Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5496-935X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

It is common for patients with mental illnesses to be prescribed multiple psychotropic medications to effectively manage their conditions. Psychotropic polypharmacy has been shown to potentiate and increase the risks of several adverse effects, including QT prolongation. This study aimed to investigate the prescribing trends of and differences in prescribing of QT-prolonging medications (QTPMs) at admission and discharge in hospitalized patients. This retrospective observational study utilized inpatient data from three public hospitals between January and December 2019. QTPMs were classified according to the AZCERT classification. QTPMs doses were evaluated by calculating the ratio of prescribed daily dose (PDD) to the defined daily dose (DDD). Subgroup analyses showed significant differences between patient groups on admission and discharge (all p < 0.001). Mean QTPMs decreased significantly between the two time points only in patients admitted to acute medical and geriatric units (p < 0.001). PDD/DDD ratio for conditional risk QTPMs in acute mental health unit (AMHU) patients was increased at discharge (p = 0.038). Patients admitted to acute medical and geriatric units were four and eight times more likely to be discharged with one QTPM with known risk in combination with more QTPMs with conditional risk. Logistic regression showed significant relationships with age and total number of regular medicines at admission for those prescribed high-dose QTPMs at discharge. The findings underscore the necessity for enhanced monitoring of QTPMs in hospitalized patients, particularly for those at higher risk.

Indexed as

Long QT SyndromeMental DisordersPolypharmacyPractice Patterns, Physicians'Psychotropic DrugsAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHospitalizationHumansMaleMiddle AgedPatient DischargeRetrospective StudiesPsychotropic Drugs

Identifiers

PMID40302178
PMCPMC12041124

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.