Antipsychotic medications associated with increased length of hospital stay in autoimmune encephalitis and multiple sclerosis: A retrospective study

Abstract

Background: Antipsychotic medications (APMs) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are frequently utilized in patients with neuroinflammatory disorders, such as autoimmune encephalitis and multiple sclerosis (MS). This retrospective study investigates how in-hospital treatment with APMs and SSRIs in patients with these neuroinflammatory diseases are associated with differences in hospital length-of-stay (LOS) and mortality.

Methods: We evaluated all the inpatients in the Stanford University Hospital from 2008 to 2023 diagnosed with either non-infectious encephalitis or MS and subdivided them into those who did or did not receive APMs or SSRIs while hospitalized. We then analyzed whether hospital LOS and mortality differed with these medications.

Results: Among inpatients with non-infectious encephalitis (n = 114), those who were exposed to APMs had a significantly increased mean LOS (11.8 vs 20.9 days, p < 0.01). For inpatients with MS (n = 1095), treatment with an APM was associated with a significant increase in mean LOS (2.8 vs. 7.1, p < 0.00001). When comparing typical to atypical APMs given to subjects with MS, those who received atypical APMs showed a significant increase in LOS (4.3 vs 10.5, p < 0.01), although typical APMs showed significantly increased risk of mortality (p < 0.05). For inpatients with MS and SSRI use, there was a significant increase in mean hospital LOS (3.5 vs 5.3, p < 0.01), with a significant difference found in those who received fluoxetine or citalopram, but not sertraline or escitalopram. Finally, several healthcare disparities were found, including that Black patients were more likely to receive APMs, and those with MS were more likely to receive typical rather than atypical APMs. Conversely, Black patients with MS were less likely to receive SSRI treatment.

Conclusions: There was a statistically significant increase in LOS associated with APM use in non-infectious encephalitis and MS, as well as with SSRI use in MS. These data reflect the importance of these medications in these neuroinflammatory disorders and suggest that further investigation into their risks and benefits would be warranted.

Keywords: Encephalitis; Multiple Sclerosis; Neuropsychiatry.