Table 4

Summary of the studies comparing comparing atypical antipsychotics with classic antipsychotics and/or benzodiazepines and/or placebo in the treatment of acute agitation

		Improvement rate (%)				Sample size (n included in the analysis)						Incidence of EPS side effects (%)
Source/ year/design	Study drugs and dosing (mg/injection or dose) and adm route	Atyp Aps	Cl Aps	Placebo	Benz.	Atyp Aps	Cl Aps	Placebo	Benz	Definition of improvement	Time for defined improvem ent	Atyp Aps	Cl Aps	Placebo	Benz	Conclusion	Study environme nt and duration
*Same study reported in different ways. †The study was conducted at the Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Acute Psychiatry Service; and the article is in press. Observ, observational. Other abbreviations as in table 1.
Currier/ 2001/rater blinded	Risperidone 2 mg po plus lorazepam 2 mg po/ haloperidol 5 mg im plus lorazepam 2 mg im	62	71			30	30			% Improvement in PANSS according to baseline	60 minutes	0	3			No significant difference between the two treatment groups	ED/24 hours
Brook/ 2000/ random	Ziprasidone 10 mg im/ haloperidol 2.5–10 mg im	13	7			83	40			% Improvement in BPRS according to baseline	72 hours	0	21.4			Ziprasidone is significantly more effective and better tolerated	Inpatient/ 72 hours
Jones/ 2001* / DBR	Olanzapine 10 mg im/ haloperidol 7.5 mg im/ placebo im	27	Not stated	Not stated		122	116	47		% Improvement in BPRS positive subscale according to baseline	2 hours	Not stated	Not stated	Not stated		Olanzapine and haloperidol are superior to placebo but not significantly differ from each other	Inpatient/ 24 hours
Wright/ 2001* / DBR	Olanzapine 10 mg im/ haloperidol 7.5 mg im/ placebo im	73	69	33		131	126	54		Improvement of at least 40% in excited component of PANSS	2 hours	0.8	5.6	Not stated		Olanzapine is not inferior to haloperidol in efficacy; has a significantly more rapid onset of action	Inpatient/ 24 hours
Meehan/ 2001/DBR.	Olanzapine 10 mg im/ lorazepam 2 mg im / placebo im	74		38	54	98		50	51	% Improvement in excited component of PANSS according to baseline	2 hours	No significant difference in EPS side effects				Olanzapine is superior to placebo and lorazepam in reducing agitation	Not stated/ 24 hours
Yildiz/ 2003†/ observ	Risperidone 1–2 mg po ± lorazepam 1 mg po/ haloperidol 2–5 mg im or po ± lorazepam 1–2 mg im or po	57	41			8	10			% Improvement in BPRS according to baseline	2 hours	0	0			Risperidone is not inferior to haloperidol in efficacy	ED/2 hours