ORIC-I: Optimizing Recovery From Intensive Care: Mechanical Ventilation and Delirium

ORIC-I: Optimizing Recovery From Intensive Care: Mechanical Ventilation and Delirium

The purpose of this study is to determine if treating delirious intensive care unit patients with haloperidol improves mortality.

Intensive care unit delirium is a serious medical condition that is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. In this study, 304 delirious mechanically ventilated subjects will be randomized to haloperidol 5mg IV every 12 hours or placebo to determine if treatment with haloperidol improves short and long-term mortality.

Inclusion Criteria:

• All adult (>=18 years of age) mechanically ventilated patients admitted to the medical, surgical, trauma, or cardiothoracic ICUs of the UPMC main campus who are expected by the ICU clinical team to require >24 hours of mechanical ventilation

Exclusion Criteria:

• Baseline QTc >480 milliseconds (ms); history of Parkinson's disease; pregnancy; history of schizophrenia or neurologic disease that would confound the delirium assessment; deafness or inability to understand English or Spanish; extubation prior to enrollment; previously enrolled in this study; patient, family, or attending physician refusal; death before enrollment; treatment with haloperidol within 2 days prior to ICU admission; and prisoners.