Abstract
Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS) is the most severe complication of antipsychotic drug treatment, characterized by hyperpyrexia, extrapyramidal symptoms and autonomic dysfunction. However, its clinical criteria and treatment have not been established. We made 8 items of nquiries about NMS to all psychiatric hospitals in Japan. Of 1455 hospitals 836 (57.5%) answered the questionnaires. Most of them were interested in NMS (97.6%). and have already known the clinical features of NMS (95.1%), and also recently read the articles of NMS (76.4%). More than half of them knew the case report of NMS induced by antidepressants and the treatment with dantrolene or bromocriptine. Of these 836 hospitals 576 (68.9%) experienced NMS. The number of typical cases was 919, and that of imcomplete cases was 747.
