[Effects of mianserin hydrochloride on delirium: comparison with the effects of oxypertine and haloperidol].

Mianserin (10-60 mg), haloperidol (2-6 mg) and oxypertine (20-60 mg) were administered once before bedtime in patients with delirium in Kurume University Hospital. The therapeutic effects of these drugs were investigated in the pre- and post-treatment using Delirium Rating Scale (DRS: Trzepacz et al., 1988). Mianserin was observed to be effective on 67% of the cases, and haloperidol and oxypertine in about 60%. Based on the clinical results and on the measurement of plasma concentration of mianserin, mianserin was considered to be an effective drug particularly against delirium in elderly patients because the effect and plasma concentration of mianserin were observed in the early stage of treatment without any side effects. The reduction of plasma free-MHPG was accompanied with improvement in the delirious state. The reason for the changes in plasma free-HVA was unclear.