Skip to main content
. 2016 Jul 2;2016(7):CD010832. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD010832.pub2

Summary of findings 2. FLUPHENAZINE (ORAL) compared to RISPERIDONE for schizophrenia.

FLUPHENAZINE (ORAL) compared to RISPERIDONE for schizophrenia
Patient or population: patients with schizophrenia
 Settings: USA
 Intervention: FLUPHENAZINE (ORAL)
 Comparison: RISPERIDONE
Outcomes Illustrative comparative risks* (95% CI) Relative effect
 (95% CI) No of Participants
 (studies) Quality of the evidence
 (GRADE) Comments
Assumed risk Corresponding risk
RISPERIDONE FLUPHENAZINE (ORAL)
Clinically important response (defined by study) ‐ short term (up to 12 weeks) 
 decreased rate of BPRS score < 20%
 Follow‐up: 12 weeks 231 per 10001 155 per 1000 
 (30 to 773) RR 0.67 
 (0.13 to 3.35) 26
 (1 study) ⊕⊝⊝⊝
 very low2,3,4  
Relapse (long term) ‐ not reported See comment See comment Not estimable See comment No study reported this outcome
Clinically important change in life skills (long term) ‐ not reported See comment See comment Not estimable See comment No study reported this outcome
Quality of life (long term) ‐ not reported See comment See comment Not estimable See comment No study reported this outcome
Adverse effects: Extrapyramidal effects ‐ short/medium term (up to 12 weeks) ‐ not reported See comment See comment Not estimable See comment No study reported this outcome
Leaving the study early ‐ inefficacy short term (up to 12 weeks) 
 Follow‐up: 12 weeks 77 per 10001 83 per 1000 
 (6 to 1000) RR 1.08 
 (0.08 to 15.46) 25
 (1 study) ⊕⊝⊝⊝
 very low2,3,4  
Cost‐effectiveness (long term) ‐ not reported See comment See comment Not estimable See comment No study reported this outcome <BR/>
*The basis for the assumed risk (e.g. the median control group risk across studies) is provided in footnotes. The corresponding risk (and its 95% confidence interval) is based on the assumed risk in the comparison group and the relative effect of the intervention (and its 95% CI).
 CI: Confidence interval; RR: Risk ratio
GRADE Working Group grades of evidence
 High quality: Further research is very unlikely to change our confidence in the estimate of effect.
 Moderate quality: Further research is likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and may change the estimate.
 Low quality: Further research is very likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and is likely to change the estimate.
 Very low quality: We are very uncertain about the estimate.

1 Control risk: mean baseline risk presented for single included study.
 2 Risk of bias: rated 'serious' ‐ randomisation methods unclear; rated 'high' for attrition bias, with data for some included participants 'lost'; only one small study included (Conley 2005, n = 40).
 3 Indirectness: rated 'serious' ‐ only one included study provided data, which had three treatment arms (fluphenazine versus risperidone versus quetiapine).
 4 Imprecision: rated 'very serious' ‐ few participants, few events, leading to uncertainty in the precision of estimate of effect.