Neuroleptic strategies for terminal agitation in patients with cancer and delirium at an acute palliative care unit : a single-centre, double-blind, parallel-group, randomised trial

Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved..

BACKGROUND: The role of neuroleptics for terminal agitated delirium is controversial. We assessed the effect of three neuroleptic strategies on refractory agitation in patients with cancer with terminal delirium.

METHODS: In this single-centre, double-blind, parallel-group, randomised trial, patients with advanced cancer, aged at least 18 years, admitted to the palliative and supportive care unit at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, TX, USA), with refractory agitation, despite low-dose haloperidol, were randomly assigned to receive intravenous haloperidol dose escalation at 2 mg every 4 h, neuroleptic rotation with chlorpromazine at 25 mg every 4 h, or combined haloperidol at 1 mg and chlorpromazine at 12·5 mg every 4 h, until death or discharge. Rescue doses identical to the scheduled doses were administered at inception, and then hourly as needed. Permuted block randomisation (block size six; 1:1:1) was done, stratified by baseline Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale (RASS) scores. Research staff, clinicians, patients, and caregivers were masked to group assignment. The primary outcome was change in RASS score from time 0 to 24 h. Comparisons among group were done by modified intention-to-treat analysis. This completed study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03021486.

FINDINGS: Between July 5, 2017, and July 1, 2019, 998 patients were screened for eligibility, with 68 being enrolled and randomly assigned to treatment; 45 received the masked study interventions (escalation n=15, rotation n=16, combination n=14). RASS score decreased significantly within 30 min and remained low at 24 h in the escalation group (n=10, mean RASS score change between 0 h and 24 h -3·6 [95% CI -5·0 to -2·2]), rotation group (n=11, -3·3 [-4·4 to -2·2]), and combination group (n=10, -3·0 [-4·6 to -1·4]), with no difference among groups (p=0·71). The most common serious toxicity was hypotension (escalation n=6 [40%], rotation n=5 [31%], combination n=3 [21%]); there were no treatment-related deaths.

INTERPRETATION: Our data provide preliminary evidence that the three strategies of neuroleptics might reduce agitation in patients with terminal agitation. These findings are in the context of the single-centre design, small sample size, and lack of a placebo-only group.

FUNDING: National Institute of Nursing Research.

Errataetall:

CommentIn: Lancet Oncol. 2020 Jul;21(7):872-873. - PMID 32479785

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2020

Erschienen:

2020

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:21

Enthalten in:

The Lancet. Oncology - 21(2020), 7 vom: 28. Juli, Seite 989-998

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Hui, David [VerfasserIn]
De La Rosa, Allison [VerfasserIn]
Wilson, Annie [VerfasserIn]
Nguyen, Thuc [VerfasserIn]
Wu, Jimin [VerfasserIn]
Delgado-Guay, Marvin [VerfasserIn]
Azhar, Ahsan [VerfasserIn]
Arthur, Joseph [VerfasserIn]
Epner, Daniel [VerfasserIn]
Haider, Ali [VerfasserIn]
De La Cruz, Maxine [VerfasserIn]
Heung, Yvonne [VerfasserIn]
Tanco, Kimberson [VerfasserIn]
Dalal, Shalini [VerfasserIn]
Reddy, Akhila [VerfasserIn]
Williams, Janet [VerfasserIn]
Amin, Sapna [VerfasserIn]
Armstrong, Terri S [VerfasserIn]
Breitbart, William [VerfasserIn]
Bruera, Eduardo [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Antipsychotic Agents
Haloperidol
J6292F8L3D
Journal Article
Randomized Controlled Trial
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 16.07.2020

Date Revised 02.07.2021

published: Print-Electronic

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03021486

CommentIn: Lancet Oncol. 2020 Jul;21(7):872-873. - PMID 32479785

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1016/S1470-2045(20)30307-7

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM310601932