QTc prolongation and antipsychotic medications in a sample of 1017 patients with schizophrenia

Many antipsychotic drugs cause QT prolongation, although the effect differs based on the particular drug. We sought to determine the potential for antipsychotic drugs to prolong the QTc interval (> 470 ms in men and > 480 ms in women) using the Bazett formula in a “real-world” setting by analyzing the electrocardiograms of 1017 patients suffering from schizophrenia. Using logistic regression analysis to calculate the adjusted relative risk (RR), we found that chlorpromazine (RR for 100 mg = 1.37, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.14 to 1.64; p < .005), intravenous haloperidol (RR for 2 mg = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.18 to 1.43; p < .001), and sultopride (RR for 200 mg = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.28 to 1.63; p < .001) were associated with an increased risk of QTc prolongation. Levomepromazine also significantly lengthened the QTc interval. The second-generation antipsychotic drugs (i.e., olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone, and zotepine), mood stabilizers, benzodiazepines, and antiparkinsonian drugs did not prolong the QTc interval. Our results suggest that second-generation antipsychotic drugs are generally less likely than first-generation antipsychotic drugs to produce QTc interval prolongation, which may be of use in clinical decision making concerning the choice of antipsychotic medication.