Intravenous haloperidol: A systematic review of side effects and recommendations for clinical use.

Introduction: Though not approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration, intravenous haloperidol (IVH) is widely used off-label to manage agitation and psychosis in patients with delirium in the hospital setting. Over the years, concerns have emerged regarding side effects of IVH, particularly its potential to cause QT prolongation, torsades de pointes (TdP), extrapyramidal symptoms and catatonia.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review of literature of published literature related to side effects of IVH in PubMed in accordance with PRISMA guidelines.

The need to expand access to electroconvulsive therapy: a retrospective analysis of a new academic service.

Background: Studies have long described the efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT); however, access to care continues to be an obstacle to treatment. Despite national trends resulting in declining availability of ECT, a new academic service was created to serve the needs of an area with limited resources. In this study, the characteristics and outcomes of patients receiving treatment during the first year of a new ECT program were assessed.

Charles Bonnet syndrome: are medications necessary?

Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS) is a clinical entity in which patients develop vivid visual hallucinations in the absence of psychiatric illness. In the great majority of cases, a decline in visual acuity precedes the development of CBS. The patient maintains intact reality testing and recognizes that the hallucinations are not real.