Intramuscular olanzapine in patients with borderline personality disorder: an observational study in an emergency room.
OBJECTIVE
Despite the frequency of borderline personality disorder (BPD) in patients with acute agitation in emergency departments (EDs), there are few data about the use of intramuscular (IM) psychotropics in those patients. This is the first open-label study with olanzapine in this setting.


METHODS
Measures were collected prospectively for patients with acute agitation in ED. Consent was obtained subsequently and diagnosis ascertained using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. A group of 25 patients with severe agitation and BPD received olanzapine 10 mg IM. Efficacy and safety data are available at baseline, 2 h postinjection and at discharge.


RESULTS
Significant reductions of agitation associated with good tolerance were observed 2 h after the first IM olanzapine. Sixteen percent of patients required a second IM olanzapine.


CONCLUSIONS
Randomized, placebo-controlled studies are needed to confirm the efficacy of IM olanzapine in patients with acute agitation and BPD.
Damsa
Cristian
C
Service d'urgences psychiatriques, Centre Hospitalier Régional La Citadelle, 1 Boulevard du Douzième de Ligne, 4000 Liège, Belgium. c.damsa@bluewin.ch
Adam
Eric
E
De Gregorio
François
F
Cailhol
Lionel
L
Lejeune
Joseph
J
Lazignac
Coralie
C
Allen
Michael H
MH
D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004637:Emergency Services, Psychiatric; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D008297:Male; D019370:Observation; D000077152:Olanzapine; D011446:Prospective Studies
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D000077152:Olanzapine