A Prospective Before and After Study of Droperidol for Prehospital Acute Behavioral Disturbance

AbstractStudy Objective: Acute behavioral disturbance is a common problem for emergency medical services. We aimed to investigate the safety and effectiveness of droperidol compared to midazolam in the prehospital setting. Methods: This was a prospective before and after study comparing droperidol to midazolam for prehospital acute behavioral disturbance, when the state ambulance service changed medications. The primary outcome was the proportion of adverse effects (airway intervention, oxygen saturation < 90%, respiratory rate < 12, systolic blood pressure < 90 mmHg, sedation assessment tool score −3 and dystonic reactions) in patients receiving sedation. Secondary outcomes included time to sedation, requirement for additional sedation, staff and patient injuries, and prehospital time. Results: There were 141 patients administered midazolam and 149 patients administered droperidol in the study. Alcohol was the most common cause of acute behavioral disturbance. Fewer patient adverse events occurred with d...