after drug initiation. Some cases develop with in 24 hours after drug initiation, most within
the first week, and virtually all cases within 30 days. Once the syndrome is diagnosed and
oral antipsychotic drugs are d iscontinued, neuroleptic maligna nt syndrome is self-limited
in most cases. The mean reco very time after drug discontinuation is 7–10 days, with most
individuals recovering within 1 week and nearly all within 30 days. The duration may be
prolonged when long-acting antipsychotics are implicated. There have been reports of in-
dividuals in whom residual neurological signs persisted for weeks after the acute hyper-
metabolic symptoms re solved. Total resolution of symp toms can be obtained in most
cases of neuroleptic malignant syndrome; howe ver, fatality rates of 10%–20% have been