Dementia Treatment Algorithm

This fact sheet outlines our approach to ordering lab tests for psychiatric inpatients.

Iloperidone is not recommended as a first-choice antipsychotic due to twice-daily dosing, slow titration requirements, QT prolongation (similar to ziprasidone), dizziness, moderate weight gain, increased blood sugar, and overall weaker efficacy compared to other agents.

Benzodiazepines can be a tricky class of medications to manage, especially in inpatient settings where patients may have complex needs or a history of substance use.

Paliperidone is the active metabolite of risperidone.

Fluphenazine is an effective, inexpensive first-generation antipsychotic (FGA) with a long history of use, but its utility is limited in some patients due to extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) and the risk of tardive dyskinesia.

Nefazodone was once popular due to its low rate of sexual side effects, but its use has dramatically declined because of rare yet serious hepatic toxicity.