BMJ  2003;327 (27 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7417.0-d

Midazolam calms agitation faster than haloperidolpromethazine

Midazolam works faster than haloperidol-promethazine in calming agitated patients. In a pragmatic randomised clinical trial in Brazil (p 708), 301 agitated or aggressive patients were randomised to intramuscular midazolam or intramuscular haloperidol plus promethazine. Almost 90% of patients given midazolam were tranquil or asleep after 20 minutes, compared with two thirds of those given haloperidol-promethazine. One potentially severe adverse event occurred with each treatment.

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BMJ 2003 327: 708-713. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]