TOPLINE: Droperidol, when administered intravenously at doses below 2.5 mg in the emergency department (ED) for abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting, is effective in symptom management and associated with minimal adverse events, with only a small percentage of patients experiencing mild side effects and no major complications reported.
METHODOLOGY:
- Researchers conducted a retrospective observational study and analyzed 830 ED visits involving 706 patients with abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting from August 2019 to August 2020.
- The average patient age was 39 years (68% women).
- The primary outcome of this study was the documented range and frequency of droperidol doses prescribed by healthcare providers.
- The secondary outcomes were major adverse reactions, like anaphylaxis, syncope, seizures, dysrhythmias, or QT prolongation, as well as minor reactions, such as rash, itching, akathisia, and agitation.
TAKEAWAY:
- Intravenous droperidol doses ranged from 0.625 mg to 5 mg, and the median dose was 0.625 mg.
- Adverse events occurred in 19 (2.3%) patients: six had akathisia, six had anxiety, three had dystonia, three had dizziness, and one had fatigue.
- No major events such as dysrhythmias, syncope, seizures, or fatalities were reported.
- Symptom improvement was observed in 25% patients.
IN PRACTICE:
“At one institution, droperidol is being used commonly for the chief complaints of abdominal pain, nausea, and/or vomiting. While there are no specific limitations on indication or dosing, this evaluation of common practice patterns shows that the preferred dosing is nearly universally below the 2.5mg IV [intravenous] dose for which the FDA [Food and Drug Administration] warning applies,” the authors wrote.
SOURCE:
The study was led by Ryan Ernst, MD, UCSF Fresno Department of Emergency Medicine, Fresno, California, and was published online on August 5, 2024, in TheAmerican Journal of Emergency Medicine.
LIMITATIONS:
The retrospective chart review design limited the study’s ability to assess safety or efficacy, as adverse events could have been underreported and confounded by additional medications. The study’s single-center design and inability to detect rare events further restricted its generalizability and data analysis.
DISCLOSURES:
The study did not receive any specific funding. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
Source link : https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/low-dose-droperidol-safe-and-effective-ed-use-2024a1000f31?src=rss
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Publish date : 2024-08-16 10:47:14
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