Table 3Characteristics of Included Non-Randomized Clinical Studies

First Author, Publication Year, CountryStudy DesignPatient CharacteristicsIntervention(s)Comparator(s)Clinical Outcomes
Isbister, 2017, Australia19Retrospective chart reviewPatients over 15 years old admitted to a toxicology unit for clonidine overdose or poisoning (N = 119)Acute ingestion of clonidine alone (n = 40), or with co-ingestants (n=68), including benzodiazepines, antipsychotics, opioids, anticonvulsants, and alcohol. Median dose of 2.1 mg (range of 0.4 mg to 15mg).

Staggered ingestion of clonidine alone (n = 1) or with co-ingestants (n = 10). Median dose of 3.6 mg (range of 1.5 mg to 30 mg)		N/ABradycardia and its duration, hypotension and its duration, early hypertension, severe hypertension, Glasgow coma score, hypothermia, arrhythmia, mortality, administration of and response to antidotes.
Detweiler, 2016, USA17Retrospective chart reviewVeteran and active duty soldiers diagnosed with PTSD prescribed medication for nightmares associated with PTSD

327 patients and 478 medication trials, including 27 trials with clonidine		Clonidine with dosages of 0.1 mg to 4.0 mg per day and maximum prescription lengths of 2 to 1216 days.

A medication trial consisted of the use of the medication at the same dosage until the dosage was changed or stopped.		Prazosin, terazosin, risperidone, quetiapine, olanzapine, aripiprazole, ziprasidone, perphenazine, trazodone, mirtazapine, prazosin and trazodone, prazosin and quetiapineFrequency and severity of PTSD-related nightmares categorized as: no change in nightmares (no response), decrease in frequency and severity of nightmares (partial response), and total suppression of nightmares (full response)
Mannelli, 2013, USA18Retrospective cohort study (post-hoc analysis of an RCT)Opioid addiction in-patients undergoing methadone-based detoxification at community treatment programs. The studied subgroup of patients was permitted to smoke cigarettes (N = 96).All patients:6 day methadone taper

Patients who smoked during treatment were divided into four groups based on naltrexone vs. placebo and clonidine vs. no clonidine. Patients on naltrexone received 0.125mg or 0.25 mg/day. Patients on clonidine received 0.1 mgto0.2 mg every 6 hours.

Naltrexone/clonidine (n=29)

Placebo/clonidine (n = 18)		Naltrexone alone (n=31)

Placebo alone (n = 18)		Mean cigarettes smoked per day, cigarette craving (Brief Questionnaire of Smoking Urges), adverse events

N/A= not applicable; PTSD = post-traumatic stress disorder; RCT= randomized controlled trial.

From: Clonidine for the Treatment of Psychiatric Conditions and Symptoms: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness, Safety, and Guidelines

Cover of Clonidine for the Treatment of Psychiatric Conditions and Symptoms: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness, Safety, and Guidelines
Clonidine for the Treatment of Psychiatric Conditions and Symptoms: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness, Safety, and Guidelines [Internet].
Chiu S, Campbell K.
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