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Droperidol is effective for treatment of headaches, however, it is not available in many emergency departments (EDs). Haloperidol, in the same medication class, has shown efficacy in limited studies.
Researchers randomized 118 patients (ages 13–55 years) with benign headache to receive either 2.5 mg haloperidol IV or saline placebo. Pain was measured on a 10-point visual analog scale (VAS) every half-hour for 90 minutes and at discharge. Mean baseline scores were 8.4 in both groups.
Pain reduction at 60 minutes (primary outcome) was significantly greater in the haloperidol group than the control group (mean decrease, 4.8 vs. 1.9 points). More patients in the haloperidol group (65%) than the control group (22%) had ≥50% reduction in pain by 60…