ED sedation with droperidol is relatively safe and effective

This study has shown that droperidol is relatively safe and effective for the management of violent and aggressive patients in the ED and that there was no increased risk of QT prolongation and torsades de points according to a large cohort of cases.” The “Editor’s Capsule Summary” that accompanies the article is even more emphatic*: How this is relevant to clinical practice Droperidol is safe even with the high doses used in this study. The authors note that the study does not rule out that droperidol may be associated with rare cases of torsades. But the agitated, delirious ED patient may be a danger to himself, staff, and other patients, and may have underlying serious medical problems that must be addressed emergently. The need to get control of the situation by using chemical restraints is crucial, and certainly trumps what is clearly a very small risk of prolonging the QT interval. *The original post was updated to include the “Editor’s Capsule Summary” conclusion. Related post:   FDA Warnings: Black Box, or Black Hole?  
Source: The Poison Review - Category: Toxicology Authors: Tags: Best of TPR Medical black box warning droperidol FDA food and drug administration QT prolongation torsades de pointes Source Type: news