Comparison of haloperidol, non-haloperidol antipsychotics, and no pharmacotherapy for the management of delirium in an inpatient geriatric palliative care population.

Comparison of haloperidol, non-haloperidol antipsychotics, and no pharmacotherapy for the management of delirium in an inpatient geriatric palliative care population. J Pain Palliat Care Pharmacother. 2018 Jun - Sep;32(2-3):141-148 Authors: Felton MA, Jarrett JB, Hoffmaster R, D'Amico FJ, Sakely H, Pruskowski J Abstract Antipsychotics are frequently used for treatment of delirium, although little evidence exists that they improve delirium outcomes. Our objective was to evaluate haloperidol (HAL) compared to non-haloperidol antipsychotics (NHAP) or no pharmacologic treatment (NP) in the management of delirium in older adults under the care of a palliative care consult service across a large, integrated health care system. A retrospective chart review examined data from September 2014-September 2015. All hospitalized patients ≥65 years old with a diagnosis of delirium during palliative care consultation were included (n = 304). Primary outcome was length of stay after delirium diagnosis. Secondary outcomes included delirium symptom length, sedation, and QTc prolongation. Univariate statistical tests, analysis of covariance, and multiple regression methods were used to compare groups. Post-delirium length of stay in the HAL, NHAP, and NP groups were 8.5, 7.0, and 6.8 days, respectively (p = 0.19). Delirium duration in the HAL, NHAP, and NP groups were 6.7, 6.0, and 4.9 days, respectively (p = 0.05). Safety outcomes were st...
Source: Journal of Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy - Category: Palliative Care Tags: J Pain Palliat Care Pharmacother Source Type: research