Fluoxetine in acute treatment of pediatric depression.(What's New In Research)(Clinical report)

The rate of symptom improvement during the first few weeks of acute antidepressant treatment may be a reliable indicator of remission in pediatric patients. In a prospective open-label study using fluoxetine, investigators found that children and adolescents who eventually achieved remission had significantly greater symptom improvement as early as week 1 compared with nonremitters.

According to clinical guidelines and algorithms, changing antidepressant treatment is recommended in patients who have not achieved remission after 3 months of an adequate dose. Most recommendations also suggest changing treatment at an earlier point in time (i.e., after 4-8 weeks) when patients are …