Parenteral haloperidol in psychiatric emergencies. Double-blind comparison with chlorpromazine.

In a double-blind study of 58 acutely disturbed men and women brought to an emergency psychiatric unit, parenteral haloperidol was generally more useful than parenteral chlorpromazine in the control of disruptive signs and symptoms of psychosis. Half the patients (15/30) who received one injection of haloperidol 5 mg were calmed, cooperative and alert, and another fourth (8/30) were improved. By contrast, only 3 of 28 patients who received chlorpromazine were controlled successfully, and 11 of 28 were partly controlled. Covariant analysis of data from the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale showed that haloperidol was superior (p less than .05) to chlorpromazine in five of the signs and symptoms evaluated, notably hostility and excitement. None of the statistical comparisons favored chlorpromazine. There were no adverse reactions in any of the patients. Results of this study and of work reported elsewhere indicate that haloperidol is the drug of choice for the control of disruptive symptoms and signs of psychosis in patients who require emergency treatment with an antipsychotic agent.