Droperidol: Opening the Black Box

For more than 30 years, droperidol (Inapsine), a butyrophenone, has been used as an antiemetic and antipsychotic agent. In 2001, the FDA placed a black box warning on droperidol to alert practitioners to a new perceived hazard, and set new recommendations for safe use. The warning was precipitated by reports of cases of QT-interval prolongation that were associated with droperidol use, which led to torsades de pointes and death. Since the warning, use of droperidol has declined dramatically, and many hospitals have restricted its use or have removed it from their formularies. In this review article, the authors assessed the evidence for an association between droperidol use and QT-interval prolongation.

A literature search identified 3 clini…