Treating psychosis . . . and other stories
BMJ 2024; 385 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.q840 (Published 18 April 2024) Cite this as: BMJ 2024;385:q840
History of antipsychotics
The calming properties of chlorpromazine, the first major tranquilliser, were noticed almost by accident in the early 1950s by a French surgeon who was experimenting with it as a preparation for anaesthesia. Despite the lack of clinical trials, the drug was rapidly taken up by psychiatrists for the treatment of schizophrenia and mania, which allowed them to abandon insulin induced comas, shock treatments, and lobotomies. It was only later that the deficiencies and adverse effects of phenothiazines became apparent. In an essay in Unherd, a sociologist takes a critical but sympathetic look at the history of treatment of psychosis (https://unherd.com/2024/03/the-truth-about-antipsychotics).
Postoperative bleeding
Major postoperative bleeding, defined as bleeding leading to transfusion, re-intervention, a haemoglobin level …
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