MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
Department of Pharmacy
Department of Nursing
Critical Care
| Generic Name: | Haloperidol |
| Trade Name: | Haldol |
| Action: | Antipsychotic |
| Indications: |
Psychotic Behavior Nausea and Vomiting |
| Administration Guidelines: | |
| Usual Dosage Range and Route: | INITIAL DOSE: 2 to 10 mg IVP doses
may be repeated every 20 minutes up to 20 mg in one hour* 24 HOUR CUMULATIVE: 240 mg * Higher doses may require psychiatric consultation Nausea and Vomiting: 0.25mg IV, may repeat X1 in 30 minutes |
| Special Considerations: | - Dosage adjustments may be required in:
- Cumulative effect may be observed, dosage adjustment may be required - Low to moderate doses of haloperidol should be combined with sedative/hypnotic agents to achieve adequate sedation in severely agitated patients - Higher doses (> 240 mg/day) may decrease the efficacy of haloperidol and increase the risks of complications - Serum Magnesium and Potassium should be normalized before instituting high dose therapy |
| Precautions and Side Effects: | - Extrapyramidal symptoms such as
hyperreflexia, parkinson-like symptoms, motor restlessness - Insomnia, agitation, depression, confusion, drowsiness, lethargy - Hypotension - QT prolongation - Tachycardia, angina - Respiratory depression - Malignant neuroleptic syndrome - Administer in caution in patients receiving other QT prolonging drugs |
revised 09/03