Clinical study on diazepam combined with olanzapine in treatment of agitation in alcohol withdrawal delirium tremors

Objective To compare the efficacy and safety of diazepam combined with olanzapine in treatment of agitation symptoms in patients with alcohol withdrawal delirium tremors(DT). Methods Totally 60 inpatients with DT according to CCMD-3 were enrolled in a 7-day, with 30 patients in the diazepam group (control group) and 30 patients in diazepam combined with olanzapine group (research group). The delirium rating scale(DRS-R-98) was used to evaluate the severity of the delirium symptoms. The positive and negative syndrome scale excited component(PANSS-EC) was used to assess the agitation symptoms.The treatment emergent symptom scale (TESS) was used to assess the safety and the vital signs. Results There was no significant difference in the delirium recovery time between the two groups(M(QR): 24 h(24 h)vs 24 h(6 h))(Z=-0.45, P=0.65). The PANSS-EC score in research group(17.00±2.67) was significant lower than that in control group(19.80±2.43) at the 6 hours after treatment(t=4.26, P 0.05). One case of dizziness, 2 cases of lethargy in the control group; 1 case of nasal congestion, 5 cases of drowsiness, 3 cases of constipation, 3 cases of dry mouth, 1 case of abnormal liver function in the research group. Conclusion The combination of olanzapine with diazepam can not reduce the recovery time of DT, but can quickly improve the agitation behavior. Key words: Delirium tremors; Agitation behavior; Diazepam; Olanzapine