Antipsychotic Medications

Antipsychotic medication (such as phenothiazines) when used alone may increase seizure risk and do not prevent the onset of delirium. They should only be used in conjunction with benzodiazepines to manage hallucinations or agitation associated with delirium that have not responded to adequate doses of benzodiazepines (for example, at least 60–80 mg diazepam loading). 

No controlled trials demonstrating the superiority of different antipsychotic medications exist, and practitioners should use medications with which they are most familiar. Examples of regimens include: 

• haloperidol 2.5 to 10 mg oral or intramuscular, repeated as required 
• olanzapine 5 to 10 mg oral or buccal dose, repeated as required 
• risperidone 1 to 5 mg, oral or intramuscular, twice daily, repeated as required.