Medication Treatment of Delirium: How Far Have We Come?

The research on treatment and prevention of delirium in medical patients has produced contradictory results. To clarify these, researchers in Taiwan conducted a network meta-analysis (NMA) of randomized, controlled trials — 20 on treatment of delirium in 1435 patients and 38 on delirium prevention in 8168 patients. An NMA compiles direct and indirect comparisons of treatments and allows inclusion of studies with dissimilar patients, designs, treatments, and measures.

The NMA of the treatment studies suggested that only the combination of haloperidol and lorazepam had a higher response rate than placebo or active control (odds ratio, 28) and that this combination was better than haloperidol alone, other antipsychotic drugs, rivastigmine, onda…