Emergency Psychiatric Medications - page 2

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by edie1

8,654 Views | 31 Comments

Could someone tell me the most common medications used for psychiatric emergencies? I am guessing most of them are IM but the information I have found has been from a drug company or wikipedia and not sure I can entirely trust... Read More


  1. 1
    Apr 28, '13 by Asst. Admin
    Quote from edie1
    ok apparently i am not smart enough for this site - I am trying to reply to all the assistance i got and my thank yous all end up at the bottom even thought i hit "reply." THEREFORE THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE. I SOOO APPRECIATE THE HELP .
    That's because posts are sorted by time, not who you respond to. But don't sweat it, you're doing fine
    edie1 likes this.
  2. 0
    Apr 28, '13 by
    Hi Meriwhen
    Interview of Tuesday - just thought they might ask about the meds . Thank you!
  3. 2
    Apr 28, '13 by Asst. Admin
    Quote from edie1
    Wise of you to do a little homework. Best of luck with that interview, let us know how it goes!
    marydc and edie1 like this.
  4. 1
    Apr 29, '13 by
    It's uncommon to get EPS from one dose of an antipsychotic, so if it's only being used on an emergency basis, cogentin most likely wouldn't be needed.
    IM Haldol.
    edie1 likes this.
  5. 2
    Apr 29, '13 by Guide
    Often times, you will have a choice of a PO emergency med and an IM of the same med.
    So, the goal is to attempt to have the pt take the PO first, then if that fails, you go with the IM.
    Better to try and get the PO before things get too out-of-hand than having to do an IM, because usually by that time that means the pt has possibly escalated to the point of needing to be held down by staff... we like to try to avoid that.
    In fact, good staff will do everything they can to try to redirect a pt to avoid having to use any emergency meds.
    We use a lot of Haldol and Ativan. They can be given together in a single syringe-- hence it's known as "the cocktail".

    P.S.
    If you haven't figured it out already, if you want to reply to a specific post, hit the "quote" button and then type your response. It avoids confusion, making it clear who you are responding to.

    Good luck with your interview!
    Psych is awesome.
    edie1 and Meriwhen like this.
  6. 3
    Apr 29, '13 by
    Z52 is my favorite. Zyprexa Benadryl and Ativan
    edie1, VivaLasViejas, and Meriwhen like this.
  7. 4
    Apr 30, '13 by
    we do B-52's here on our agitated pts in the ER. Benadryl, 5mg Haldol and 2mg Ativan
    edie1, That Guy, Meriwhen, and 1 other like this.
  8. 1
    Apr 30, '13 by
    We always used HA HA therapy. Haldol (5 or 10) and Ativan (2). Repeat in an hour if needed. Of course, if you can head off the emergency and your patient agrees to take po meds then everybody wins. My preferred po med is Haldol or Thorazine.
    edie1 likes this.
  9. 1
    Apr 30, '13 by Asst. Admin
    Quote from mikenmim
    Of course, if you can head off the emergency and your patient agrees to take po meds then everybody wins. My preferred po med is Haldol or Thorazine.
    If they're willing to go PO, we'll do the B52s in PO form. Or we'll go with Zydis and a benzo.
    edie1 likes this.
  10. 1
    May 2, '13 by
    Our go to for IMs is Geodon and Ativan. Sometimes Zyprexa. If we can get them to take something PO, usually 5 of Zydis and Xanax or Ativan.
    edie1 likes this.
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