Clinical Trial Compares Three Regimens for Acute Agitation

Investigators compared the efficacy and adverse outcomes for three intravenous sedation regimens for acutely agitated patients. They randomized 349 patients at two emergency departments in Australia to 5 mg midazolam plus 5 mg droperidol, 10 mg droperidol alone, or 10 mg olanzapine alone.

Midazolam-droperidol was the most effective and fastest acting regimen. At 10 minutes, 25% more patients were adequately sedated in the midazolam-droperidol group relative to the droperidol and olanzapine groups (75% vs. 50% and 49%). Median time to sedation was 6 minutes faster in the midazolam-droperidol group than in the other two groups (5 vs. 11 and 11 minutes, respectively). Rates of adverse events were similar in the three groups, at 22%, 16%, and 20…