Use of Suvorexant and Antipsychotics in the Treatment of Delirium After Infectious Diseases: A Retrospective Study. Issue 5 (September 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Okino, Kazumaro; Yamada, Hiroki; Tomioka, Hiroi; Nozaki, Shinji; Iwanami, Akira; Inamoto, Atsuko
• Is Part Of: Journal of clinical psychopharmacology. Volume 41:Issue 5(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-09
• Subjects: delirium -- suvorexant -- antipsychotics -- delirium treatment; Psychopharmacology -- Periodicals; Psychopharmacology -- Periodicals; Psychopharmacologie -- Périodiques; Psychopharmacology; Periodicals; 615.78
• DOI: 10.1097/JCP.0000000000001450
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0271-0749

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Delirium is often treated on a subjective basis and per the discretion of the attending physician because of a lack of pharmacological evidence in the literature. To address this knowledge gap, we aimed to examine the efficacy of a hypnotic drug, suvorexant, as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of delirium. Methods: Fifty-seven patients were targeted. Of the 57 patients, 39 were in the subolexant group, 17 in the antipsychotic group, and 1 was taking antidepressants. The Delirium Rating Scale–Revised 98 was used to evaluate the symptoms of delirium before and 3 and 7 days after drug administration. In addition, the medical history, occurrence of adverse effects, white blood cell count, and C-reactive protein level of participants were examined. Results: Both drugs exhibited therapeutic effects on delirium, but suvorexant had a more pronounced effect. Furthermore, the suvorexant group exhibited decreased levels of C-reactive protein, suggesting an anti-inflammatory effect. Suvorexant seems to improve the symptoms of inflammation-related delirium without any serious adverse effects, suggesting that it can be explored as a safe treatment option for clinical use in future studies. Conclusions: Our findings will be relevant for physicians interested in learning about new pharmacological treatment options and researchers interested in validating our results.