Haloperidol Short Acting Administration Setting

2Bee · Apr 11, 2017

Please help me, I really need to know this information for my project (pharmacy student)!

To clarify my question further: Short-acting Hal Lac injection - for acute agitation, so I can imagine it is used in the ER and on the psych floor in the hospital. Is it used on the general floor, too? and also, how often, if ever is the short-acting injection used in ambulatory psych clinics? Is only long-acting injection administered in the clinics?

Thanks!

xenogenetic · Apr 12, 2017

Sometimes the long acting can be administered in the home by a visiting nurse. But long acting can also be given to stable patient that is about to be discharged off an inpatient psych unit, too. I have never seen a short acting admin'ed in an ambulatory clinic because they usually don't have a way to restrain patients and the short acting is generally only used for stat PRN orders for agitation.

2Bee · Apr 12, 2017

Thank you so much. This helps a lot. What other settings can short acting be administered in? ER? ICU? nursing home? hospice? probably not home, right? Can a family member administer? Can it be administered on a general floor in the hospital?

Again, I really appreciate this info and your time! This is a great learning opportunity for me.

xenogenetic · Apr 12, 2017

It can be administered in any setting, technically. But it's unlikely to be administered in the home unless the family is super hands on, no pun intended. Definitely regularly used in the ER, not sure on a general floor of a hospital, but definitely on the psych floor or crisis unit. Not sure if via IV in the ICU since I have never worked ICU. I know there is something called "ICU psychosis" but am not sure what they use to treat that condition.

2Bee · Apr 12, 2017

Thank you, I really appreciate.

oceanblue52 · Apr 12, 2017

Doubtful that it would ever be administered in outpatient, nurses don't even have access to these types of meds, at least where I work. Also come into problems that were listed above.

Every inpatient medical setting I've ever been on has administered it through an IV. My understanding is that IMs are generally not used because it's more traumatic for the patient. It's common on Psych units because IVs are not practical with this population.

allnurses Guide · Apr 12, 2017

Haldol is used in the hospice setting to address terminal agitation. There is also short acting oral Haldol that often works better than the injection if you can get the patient to take it.

Hppy

heron, ASN, RN · Apr 13, 2017

Haldol is used in the hospice setting to address terminal agitation. There is also short acting oral Haldol that often works better than the injection if you can get the patient to take it.
Hppy

It's good for intractable nausea, too, when conventional treatment isn't working.

vintagemother, BSN, CNA, LVN, RN · Apr 13, 2017

It is sometimes ordered IM for pts on my in - patient acute care floor. The short term version, that is. Interestingly, our orders also state we can't give it IV unless the pt is on continuous telemetry monitoring-which we dont do.

2Bee · Apr 13, 2017

Thank you everyone!

Just to clarify, for the approved indications of treatment of schizophrenia (acute episodes) and for tourette's tics, my understanding, it could be administered in ER, psych floor, crisis unit. It could technically be given to a psych patient for treatment of schizophrenia in a nursing home or LTC, my guess is. IM route. It will not be given for Tx of schizophrenia at home. I think that such patient will be taken to the ER to get symptoms under control.

The rest sounds like (IV use, on the other floors and in the other settings) is for other indications, like agitation, etc.

Orca, ADN, ASN, RN · Apr 13, 2017

Generally speaking, you would not give a short acting injection for treatment of a chronic condition (schizophrenia, etc.). That would be normally addressed with PO medication.