Objective
To compare the safety and estimate the response profile of olanzapine, a second-generation antipsychotic, to haloperidol in the treatment of delirium in the critical care setting.Design
Prospective randomized trialSetting
Tertiary care university affiliated critical care unit.Patients
All admissions to a medical and surgical intensive care unit with a diagnosis of delirium.Interventions
Patients were randomized to receive either enteral olanzapine or haloperidol.Measurements
Patient
s delirium severity and benzodiazepine use were monitored over 5 days after the diagnosis of delirium.
Main results
Delirium Index decreased over time in both groups, as did the administered dose of benzodiazepines. Clinical improvement was similar in both treatment arms. No side effects were noted in the olanzapine group, whereas the use of haloperidol was associated with extrapyramidal side effects.Conclusions
Olanzapine is a safe alternative to haloperidol in delirious critical care patients, and may be of particular interest in patients in whom haloperidol is contraindicated.Keywords Delirium - Therapy - Critical care - Olanzapine - Haloperidol - Parkinsons disease