Table 3

Demographic and diagnostic features of the studies comparing atypical antipsychotics with classic antipsychotics and/or benzodiazepines and/or placebo in the treatment of acute agitation

	Mean baseline agitation score SD					Sample size male/female				Age mean^a–median^b SD^c/range^d
Source/year	Atyp Aps	Cl Aps	Placebo	Benz	Assessment scale	Atyp Aps	Cl Aps	Placebo	Benz	Atyp Aps	Cl Aps	Placebo	Benz	Final diagnostic impression (in the order of frequency)
*Same study reported in different ways. †The study was conducted at the Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Acute Psychiatry Service; and the article is in press. Atyp Aps, atypical antipsychotic PANSS‡, positive and negative syndrome scale (five directly observable items: excitement, hostility, hallucinatory behaviour, uncooperativeness, and poor impulse control); PANSS§: positive and negative syndrome scale (excited component: tension, uncooperativeness, hostility, poor impulse control, and excitement); schizophrenif, schizophreniform; dis, disorder. Other abbreviations as in table 1.
Currier/ 2001	26.7	28.5			PANSS‡	23/7	16/14			37.6^a	37.3^a			Psychosis NOS, mania, schizophrenia
	5.2	5.7			(5 observable item)					11.3^c	10.7^c
										18–65^d	18–65^d
Brook/  2000	45.9	47.5			BPRS	83/7	40/2			34.5^a	32.8^a			Schizophrenia, schizoaffective dis, brief psychotic dis, schizophrenif dis, bipolar dis, delusional dis, psychosis NOS
	10.5	9.3			(total score)					20–66^d	19–53^d
Jones/ 2001*	10.7	Not stated	Not stated		BPRS		205/106				38.2^a			Schizophrenia, schizophrenif dis, schizoaffective dis
	3.8				(positive subscale)	(stated for the entire sample)					11.6^c
										(stated for the entire sample)
Wright/ 2001*	18.4	18.2	18.4		PANSS§	Not stated	Not stated	Not stated			38.2^a			Schizophrenia, schizophrenif dis, schizoaffective dis
	3.4	3.2	3.5		(excited component)						11.6^c
										(stated for the entire sample)
Meehan/ 2001	13.0		12.7	12.4	PANSS§	57/42		29/22	21/30	40.2^a		40.5^a	39.0^a	Bipolar-manic
	3.2		3.1	3.0	(excited component)					12.4^c		10.5^c	9.7^c
Yildiz/ 2003†	69.75	63.60			BPRS	1/7	8/2			39.3^a	30.6^a			Bipolar-manic, depression, psychosis NOS, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder
	18.75	15.18								8.5^c	10.0^c