NR 547 Week 3 Collaboration Cafe; Treatment of Schizophrenia with Olanzapine

4. Provide an evidence-based rationale for the selected medication using at least one scholarly reference. Textbooks may be used for additional references but are not the primary reference. Olanzapine was a second-generation antipsychotic that was chosen for several reasons. Olanzapine has proven efficacy in resolving positive and negative symptoms of Schizophrenia. Another added advantage of this medication is the effect it has on the brain related to cognitive functions and emotional processing. Olanzapine provides early response to decreasing both positive and negative symptoms associated with Schizophrenia and better patient adherence (Gupta, et al., 2024). The sedative effect of the Olanzapine is also another reason this medication was chosen. T.M. reports 4-5 hours of sleep a night. Olanzapine will be given at bedtime to aid with poor sleeping pattern and reduce daytime sedation as it has a high potency sedative effective (Stahl, 2021). 5. List any side effects or adverse effects associated with the medication. Side Effects of Olanzapine include increased appetite, weight gain, reduction of insulin sensitivity as well as glucose tolerance impairment causing an increased risk for diabetes mellitus (Stahl, 2021). Some other symptoms of Olanzapine include constipation, dry mouth, dizziness, sedation, dyslipidemia, dyspepsia, Peripheral edema Joint pain, backpain, chest pain, and orthostatic hypotension (Stahl, 2021). Other adverse effects include increased risk of developing akathisia, extrapyramidal symptoms, tardive dyskinesia, and neuroleptic malignant syndrome (Stahl, 2021). 6. Include any required diagnostic testing. State the time frame for this testing (testing is before medication initiation or q 3 months, etc.). Includes normal results range for any listed laboratory tests. Diagnostic testing while taking Olanzapine include monitoring Glucose levels, Hemoglobin A1c, lipid panel, kidney function test, and BMI of the patient. Specifically, when starting Olanzapine Triglycerides should be monitored monthly for several months (Saabadi, 2023). Fasting plasma glucose, hemoglobin A1c, kidney function test, BMI and lipids should be monitored every 3 months until medication dose is well tolerated, then annually. Due to the high profile of weight gain, if the client develops diabetes, dyslipidemia, or gained more than 5% of their initial weight, monitoring can be more frequent than every 3 months (Saabadi, 2023). Monitoring for therapeutic