Ondasetron versus haloperidol for the treatment of postcardiotomy delirium: a prospective, randomized, double-blinded study

• Published in: Journal of cardiothoracic surgery Vol. 7; no. 1; p. 25
• Main Authors: Tagarakis, Georgios I, Voucharas, Christos, Tsolaki, Fani, Daskalopoulos, Marios E, Papaliagkas, Vassilios, Parisis, Charalampos, Gogaki, Eleni, Tsagalas, Iotalias, Sataitidis, Iotalias, Tsolaki, Magda, Tsilimingas, Nikolaos B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 21.03.2012; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Analysis of Variance; Cardiac Surgical Procedures - adverse effects; Comparative analysis; Delirium; Delirium - drug therapy; Delirium - etiology; Dosage and administration; Double-Blind Method; Drug therapy; Female; Haloperidol; Haloperidol - therapeutic use; Heart; Heart surgery; Hospitalization; Hospitals; Humans; Male; Neuropsychological Tests; Ondansetron; Ondansetron - therapeutic use; Postoperative Complications - drug therapy; Postoperative Complications - etiology; Prospective Studies; Risk factors; Schizophrenia; Statistical analysis; Stroke; Surgery; Thoracic surgery; Greece
• ISSN: 1749-8090; 1749-8090
• DOI: 10.1186/1749-8090-7-25

To investigate the controlling efficacy of ondasetron and haloperidol in regard to the postcardiotomy delirium. We included in this prospective, randomized, double-blinded study 80 patients who developed delirium after heart surgery with the application of heart lung-machine. The patients were divided into two, equally-sized groups, which on detection of delirium received ondasetron 8 mg iv or haloperidol 5 mg iv respectively. The statistical analysis compared the baseline and demographic characteristics of the two groups (age, gender, comorbidities, years of education, type of surgery etc.). Both ondasetron and haloperidol had very good delirium controlling effects, without statistically significant differences. DISCUSSION-CONCLUSIONS: Ondasetron and haloperidol are efficient agents as far as the treatment of postcardiotomy delirium is concerned. As, in addition, ondasetron bares milder side-effects, we believe this could be the agent of choice in patients developing postcardiotomy delirium in the future.