Small trial review leaves delirium drug comparison unresolved
A small review found no statistically clear differences between quetiapine and haloperidol, leaving uncertainty about their effects in hospitalized adults with delirium.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
The pooled trials found no statistically significant differences between quetiapine and haloperidol in delirium severity, deaths, sleep duration or treatment response. This does not demonstrate that the medicines have identical effects. The small evidence base and brief follow-up leave uncertainty about their relative benefits for hospitalized adults with delirium.
The review included few trials and participants, and some outcomes varied substantially across studies. The abstract does not identify the delirium severity scale or its scoring direction, preventing a clear interpretation of the reported score difference.
What was compared
Researchers pooled randomized trials in which adults with delirium received either drug alone. Delirium severity was the main outcome; the review also assessed mortality, time asleep and the proportion of patients responding to treatment.
What uncertainty means
The confidence interval for delirium severity allowed differences in either direction. A result that is not statistically significant therefore leaves the comparison unresolved, rather than establishing that the drugs work equally well.
The original publication
Effect of quetiapine versus haloperidol on delirium severity in hospitalized adults: A systematic review and meta‑analysis.
Zainab S, Fatima E, Khalid MS et al.
Asian J Psychiatr · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41483728
- Record checked
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