Abstract | BACKGROUND: Agitated or violent behaviour constitutes 10% of all emergency psychiatric treatment. Some guidelines do not recommend the use of chlorpromazine for rapid tranquillisation but it is still often used for this purpose. OBJECTIVES: SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group Trials Register (up to July 2009) which is based on regular searches of CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE and PsycINFO. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised control trials or double blind trials (implying randomisation) comparing chlorpromazine with another drug or placebo for people who are thought to be acutely aggressive or agitated due to psychotic illness. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We extracted data independently. For dichotomous data we calculated relative risks (RR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) on an intention-to-treat basis based on a fixed-effects model. MAIN RESULTS: AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Overall the quality of evidence is limited, poor and dated. Where drugs that have been better evaluated are available, it may be best to avoid use of chlorpromazine. Where chlorpromazine is used for acute aggression or where choices are limited, relevant trials are possible and urgently needed.
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Authors | Uzair Ahmed, Hannah Jones, Clive E Adams |
Journal | The Cochrane database of systematic reviews
(Cochrane Database Syst Rev)
Issue 4
Pg. CD007445
(Apr 14 2010)
ISSN: 1469-493X [Electronic] England |
PMID | 20393959
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Review, Systematic Review)
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Chemical References |
- Antipsychotic Agents
- Haloperidol
- Chlorpromazine
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Topics |
- Administration, Oral
- Aggression
(drug effects, psychology)
- Antipsychotic Agents
(administration & dosage)
- Chlorpromazine
(administration & dosage)
- Haloperidol
(administration & dosage)
- Humans
- Injections, Intramuscular
- Psychomotor Agitation
(drug therapy)
- Psychotic Disorders
(drug therapy, psychology)
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