The efficacy of intravenous droperidol in the prehospital setting.
Droperidol is used for sedating combative patients in the emergency department (ED). We performed a randomized, prospective, double-blind study to evaluate the efficacy of droperidol in the management of combative patients in the prehospital setting. Forty-six patients intravenously received the contents of 2-cc vials of saline or droperidol (5 mg). Paramedics used a 5-point scale to quantify agitation levels prior to and 5 and 10 min after administration of the vials. Twenty-three patients received droperidol and 23 received saline. At 5 min, patients in the droperidol group were significantly less agitated than were patients in the saline group. At 10 min, this difference was highly significant. Eleven patients in the saline group (48%) required more sedation after arrival in the ED versus 3 patients (13%) in the droperidol group. We conclude that droperidol is effective in sedating combative patients in the prehospital setting.
Rosen
C L
CL
Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114, USA.
Ratliff
A F
AF
Wolfe
R E
RE
Branney
S W
SW
Roe
E J
EJ
Pons
P T
PT
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004329:Droperidol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011595:Psychomotor Agitation / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D004329:Droperidol