REVIEW ER 'S CONCLUSIONS We found no significant evidence to support the use of clotiapine rather than other ' st and ard ' or ' non-st and ard ' treatments for the management of  acute psychotic illness .
BACKGROUND Acute psychotic illness , especially when associated with agitated or violent behaviour , requires urgent pharmacological tranquillisation or sedation .
Clotiapine , a dibenzothiazepine neuroleptic , is being used for this purpose in several countries .
OBJECTIVES To estimate the effects of clotiapine when compared to other ' st and ard ' or ' non-st and ard ' treatments of acute psychotic illness in controlling disturbed behaviour and reducing psychotic symptoms .
Unpublished rating scales: a major source of bias in randomised controlled trials of treatments for schizophrenia.
BACKGROUND A recent review suggested an association between using unpublished scales in clinical trials and finding significant results . AIMS To determine whether such an association existed in schizophrenia trials . METHOD Three hundred trials were r and omly selected from the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group 's Register . All comparisons between treatment groups and control groups using rating scales  were identified . The publication status of each scale was determined and cl aims of a significant treatment effect were recorded . RESULTS Trials were more likely to report that a treatment was superior to control when an unpublished scale was used to make the comparison ( relative risk 1.37 ( 95 % CI 1.12 - 1.68 ) ) . This effect increased when a ' gold-st and ard ' definition of treatment superiority was applied ( RR 1.94 ( 95 % CI 1.35 - 2.79 ) ) . In non-pharmacological trials , one-third of ' gold-st and ard ' cl aims of treatment superiority would not have been made if published scales had been used . CONCLUSIONS Unpublished scales are a source of bias in schizophrenia trials
REVIEW ER 'S CONCLUSIONS We found no significant evidence to support the use of clotiapine rather than other ' st and ard ' or ' non-st and ard ' treatments for the management of  acute psychotic illness .
BACKGROUND Acute psychotic illness , especially when associated with agitated or violent behaviour , requires urgent pharmacological tranquillisation or sedation .
Clotiapine , a dibenzothiazepine neuroleptic , is being used for this purpose in several countries .
OBJECTIVES To estimate the effects of clotiapine when compared to other ' st and ard ' or ' non-st and ard ' treatments of acute psychotic illness in controlling disturbed behaviour and reducing psychotic symptoms .