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Haloperidol, droperidol, and olanzapine are widely used for treatment of acutely agitated patients, but few studies have compared their effectiveness for treating acute agitation in the emergency department (ED).
In this retrospective observational study, researchers compared adult patients who received haloperidol, droperidol, or olanzapine as the initial antipsychotic for sedation during an encounter for acute agitation or altered mental status at a single ED from 2012 to 2016. The primary outcome measure was the rate of additional sedation administered within 1 hour of the initial antipsychotic and throughout the ED stay.
Out of approximately16,000 patients, 13% received initial treatment with haloperidol, 31% with droperidol, and 55% with…