Table 3.
Assisted Living Resident Potential Side Effects and Adverse Events by Antipsychotic Medication (N = 283).
| Potential side effects and adverse events | Residents taking any antipsychotic a (N = 283), frequency (%) | Residents taking quetiapine (n = 153), frequency (%) | Residents taking risperidone (n = 64), frequency (%) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potential side effects in the last month | ||||
| Any | 262 (92.6) | 140 (91.5) | 60 (93.8) | .78 |
| 1 | 44 (15.6) | 27 (17.7) | 9 (14.1) | |
| 2 | 60 (21.2) | 34 (22.2) | 13 (20.3) | |
| 3 | 53 (18.7) | 27 (17.7) | 11 (17.2) | |
| 4 | 50 (17.7) | 28 (18.3) | 14 (21.9) | |
| 5+ | 55 (19.4) | 24 (15.7) | 13 (20.3) | |
| Anticholinergic | ||||
| Any | 65 (23.0) | 34 (22.2) | 15 (23.4) | .86 |
| Was constipated | 37 (13.6) | 18 (12.2) | 10 (16.7) | .38 |
| Had dry mouth | 39 (14.3) | 21 (14.4) | 9 (14.5) | 1.00 |
| Psychomotor function | ||||
| Any | 150 (53.0) | 75 (49.0) | 40 (62.5) | .075 |
| Hardly moved at all, tended to sit without moving (akinesia) | 68 (24.3) | 28 (18.5) | 21 (32.8) | .032 |
| Constantly moved, was restless, could not keep still (akathisia) | 56 (20.0) | 34 (22.4) | 14 (21.9) | 1.00 |
| Was very stiff or rigid when moving or walking (rigidity) | 58 (20.7) | 29 (19.2) | 12 (18.8) | 1.00 |
| Had uncontrollable, stuff, jerky movement (tardive dyskinesia) | 22 (7.8) | 7 (4.6) | 4 (6.3) | .74 |
| Neurological/cardiovascular/psychological side effects | ||||
| Any | 251 (88.7) | 134 (87.6) | 57 (89.1) | .82 |
| Was anxious (anxiety) | 130 (46.1) | 66 (43.1) | 31 (48.4) | .55 |
| Fell asleep during the day (somnolence) | 227 (81.1) | 121 (79.6) | 51 (79.7) | 1.00 |
| Was dizzy when standing (dizziness) | 61 (21.7) | 30 (19.7) | 13 (20.3) | 1.00 |
| Did not seem to care about things (apathy) | 136 (49.6) | 70 (47.3) | 35 (55.6) | .29 |
| Adverse events in the last month | ||||
| Any | 16 (5.7) | 9 (5.9) | 5 (7.8) | .56 |
| 1 | 15 (5.3) | 9 (5.9) | 5 (7.8) | |
| 2 | 1 (0.4) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | .0 |
| Had seizures | 8 (2.8) | 4 (2.6) | 3 (4.7) | .42 |
| Had a heart attack or myocardial infarction | 1 (0.4) | 1 (0.7) | 0 (0.0) | 1.00 |
| Had a stroke or transient ischemic attack | 4 (1.4) | 2 (1.3) | 1 (1.6) | 1.00 |
| Had a hip fracture | 4 (1.4) | 2 (1.3) | 1 (1.6) | 1.00 |
| Weight change in the last 3 months | ||||
| Any | 78 (27.6) | 41 (26.8) | 23 (35.9) | .19 |
| Lost more than 10 pounds | 51 (18.2) | 25 (16.5) | 18 (28.1) | .062 |
| Gained more than 10 pounds | 29 (10.4) | 17 (11.2) | 5 (7.9) | .62 |
Note. Source = family interview. The value of p compares residents taking only quetiapine versus those taking only risperidone using Fisher’s exact test (two-sided). Side effects and adverse events were not mutually exclusive.
a
Includes haloperidol, perphenazine, aripiprazole, olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone, and ziprasidone. Seven (2.5%) residents were taking both quetiapine and risperidone.