Abstract

A naturalistic comparison study of effectiveness of intramuscular olanzapine and intramuscular haloperidol in acute agitated patients with schizophrenia

Author(s): Real Juarez D, Diaz-Castro L, Cabello-Rangel H

Objective

This study was a comparative investigation of the clinical effectiveness of intramuscular (IM) olanzapine, and IM haloperidol in acute agitated patients with schizophrenia.

Methods

The subjects were 58 schizophrenic patients with psychomotor agitation (moderate and severe) in the emergency ward of a psychiatric hospital. Their clinical symptoms were assessed using Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale Excited Component (PANSS-EC), and anti-agitation treatments with antipsychotics were evaluate at the beginning of treatment, and at 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes. This was done using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale Excited Component (PANSS-EC).

Results

The mean of clinical symptoms from baseline on the PANSS-EC, were different in the groups IM olanzapine 10mg and IM haloperidol (5mg and 10 mg). Statistically significant differences of PANSS-EC scores were found for moderate and severe psychomotor agitation, when comparing times of study for each treatment group.

Conclusions

The results of this study suggest the possibility that the anti-agitation effects of IM haloperidol (10 mg) are more rapid than those of IM haloperidol 5mg and IM olanzapine 10 mg. No extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) were observed.