Med card 1 - Medication explanation
● Haloperidol
● Primary indication
To treat acute psychoses, schizophrenia, Tourette syndrome
Mechanism of Action: Alters the effect of dopamine on the CNS; the
mechanism for antipsychotic effects is unknown
● Priority Precaution
Contraindications
Parkinsonism, CNS depression, coma
Caution: Alcohol use disorder, dementia, glaucoma, dehydration, CAD, liver
damage, urinary retention, narrow-angle glaucoma, cardiovascular disease,
neutropenia, leukopenia, agranulocytosis, seizures
● Drug interaction
Effects of haloperidol may be increased by amiodarone, kava kava,
magnesium sulfate, metoclopramide, promethazine, antidepressants,
antidysrhythmics; haloperidol may increase effects of anticholinergics, CNS
depressants, glucagon, opioid agonists, oxycodone, potassium chloride,
thiazide diuretics; effects of haloperidol may be decreased by
acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, glycopyrrolate; haloperidol may decrease the
effects of amphetamines, systemic epinephrine, nitroglycerine.
● Primary adverse reaction
Tachycardia, orthostatic hypotension, EPS, hyper/hypoglycemia,
hyponatremia, seizures, retinopathy, osteopenia
Life-threatening: Laryngeal edema, bronchospasm, dysrhythmias,
eosinophilia, aplastic anemia, hemolytic anemia, agranulocytosis,
leukopenia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, pancytopenia, hepatic failure,
NMS, rhabdomyolysis
● Haloperidol
● Primary indication
To treat acute psychoses, schizophrenia, Tourette syndrome
Mechanism of Action: Alters the effect of dopamine on the CNS; the
mechanism for antipsychotic effects is unknown
● Priority Precaution
Contraindications
Parkinsonism, CNS depression, coma
Caution: Alcohol use disorder, dementia, glaucoma, dehydration, CAD, liver
damage, urinary retention, narrow-angle glaucoma, cardiovascular disease,
neutropenia, leukopenia, agranulocytosis, seizures
● Drug interaction
Effects of haloperidol may be increased by amiodarone, kava kava,
magnesium sulfate, metoclopramide, promethazine, antidepressants,
antidysrhythmics; haloperidol may increase effects of anticholinergics, CNS
depressants, glucagon, opioid agonists, oxycodone, potassium chloride,
thiazide diuretics; effects of haloperidol may be decreased by
acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, glycopyrrolate; haloperidol may decrease the
effects of amphetamines, systemic epinephrine, nitroglycerine.
● Primary adverse reaction
Tachycardia, orthostatic hypotension, EPS, hyper/hypoglycemia,
hyponatremia, seizures, retinopathy, osteopenia
Life-threatening: Laryngeal edema, bronchospasm, dysrhythmias,
eosinophilia, aplastic anemia, hemolytic anemia, agranulocytosis,
leukopenia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, pancytopenia, hepatic failure,
NMS, rhabdomyolysis
