Biomaterial Database

Parenteral haloperidol in psychiatric emergencies. Double-blind comparison with chlorpromazine. 1977

M L Gerstenzang, and T V Krulisky

In a double-blind study of 58 acutely disturbed men and women brought to an emergency psychiatric unit, parenteral haloperidol was generally more useful than parenteral chlorpromazine in the control of disruptive signs and symptoms of psychosis. Half the patients (15/30) who received one injection of haloperidol 5 mg were calmed, cooperative and alert, and another fourth (8/30) were improved. By contrast, only 3 of 28 patients who received chlorpromazine were controlled successfully, and 11 of 28 were partly controlled. Covariant analysis of data from the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale showed that haloperidol was superior (p less than .05) to chlorpromazine in five of the signs and symptoms evaluated, notably hostility and excitement. None of the statistical comparisons favored chlorpromazine. There were no adverse reactions in any of the patients. Results of this study and of work reported elsewhere indicate that haloperidol is the drug of choice for the control of disruptive symptoms and signs of psychosis in patients who require emergency treatment with an antipsychotic agent.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007275	Injections, Intravenous	Injections made into a vein for therapeutic or experimental purposes.	Intravenous Injections,Injection, Intravenous,Intravenous Injection
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D011618	Psychotic Disorders	Disorders in which there is a loss of ego boundaries or a gross impairment in reality testing with delusions or prominent hallucinations. (From DSM-IV, 1994)	Psychoses,Psychosis, Brief Reactive,Schizoaffective Disorder,Schizophreniform Disorders,Psychosis,Brief Reactive Psychoses,Brief Reactive Psychosis,Disorder, Psychotic,Disorder, Schizoaffective,Disorder, Schizophreniform,Disorders, Psychotic,Disorders, Schizoaffective,Disorders, Schizophreniform,Psychoses, Brief Reactive,Psychotic Disorder,Reactive Psychoses, Brief,Reactive Psychosis, Brief,Schizoaffective Disorders,Schizophreniform Disorder
D002746	Chlorpromazine	The prototypical phenothiazine antipsychotic drug. Like the other drugs in this class chlorpromazine's antipsychotic actions are thought to be due to long-term adaptation by the brain to blocking DOPAMINE RECEPTORS. Chlorpromazine has several other actions and therapeutic uses, including as an antiemetic and in the treatment of intractable hiccup.	Aminazine,Chlorazine,Chlordelazine,Chlorpromazine Hydrochloride,Contomin,Fenactil,Largactil,Propaphenin,Thorazine,Hydrochloride, Chlorpromazine
D002986	Clinical Trials as Topic	Works about pre-planned studies of the safety, efficacy, or optimum dosage schedule (if appropriate) of one or more diagnostic, therapeutic, or prophylactic drugs, devices, or techniques selected according to predetermined criteria of eligibility and observed for predefined evidence of favorable and unfavorable effects. This concept includes clinical trials conducted both in the U.S. and in other countries.	Clinical Trial as Topic
D004341	Drug Evaluation	Any process by which toxicity, metabolism, absorption, elimination, preferred route of administration, safe dosage range, etc., for a drug or group of drugs is determined through clinical assessment in humans or veterinary animals.	Evaluation Studies, Drug,Drug Evaluation Studies,Drug Evaluation Study,Drug Evaluations,Evaluation Study, Drug,Evaluation, Drug,Evaluations, Drug,Studies, Drug Evaluation,Study, Drug Evaluation
D004630	Emergencies	Situations or conditions requiring immediate intervention to avoid serious adverse results.	Emergency
D005260	Female		Females
D006220	Haloperidol	A phenyl-piperidinyl-butyrophenone that is used primarily to treat SCHIZOPHRENIA and other PSYCHOSES. It is also used in schizoaffective disorder, DELUSIONAL DISORDERS, ballism, and TOURETTE SYNDROME (a drug of choice) and occasionally as adjunctive therapy in INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY and the chorea of HUNTINGTON DISEASE. It is a potent antiemetic and is used in the treatment of intractable HICCUPS. (From AMA Drug Evaluations Annual, 1994, p279)	Haldol