A Comparison Study of the Efficacy of Quetiapine and Haloperidol in Agitated Adults in Emergency Room
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2009-05-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
In the Psychiatric Emergency Room, agitated patients are treated routinely with an I.M.
Haloperidol "cocktail" (Haloperidol 5 mg, Lorazepam 2 mg, Cogentin 2 mg), which has proved to
be an effective treatment. However, since it is an intramuscular injection, it is more
complicated and perhaps less acceptable to patients as well as more likely to cause EPS
(extrapyramidal symptoms). Of late in our emergency room, we started using high dose
Quetiapine 300 mg PO to replace the "cocktail" for treating agitation. It has shown promising
results.