1. Presenter: Wen-Ching Lan Date: 2018/05/09
Use of haloperidol versus atypical antipsychotics and risk of in-hospital death in patients with acute myocardial infarction: cohort study.
BMJ 2018;360:k1218
Yoonyoung Park, Brian T Bateman, Dae Hyun Kim, Sonia Hernandez-Diaz,
Elisabetta Patorno, Robert J Glynn, Helen Mogun, Krista F Huybrechts
Presenter: Wen-Ching Lan
Date: 2018/05/09

2. Introduction
Studies in outpatients and nursing home residents have consistently suggested an increased risk of death associated with typical antipsychotics compared with atypical antipsychotics.
Several randomized controlled trials have reported similar efficacy between haloperidol and atypical antipsychotics in managing symptoms of delirium in patients admitted to hospital. 1

3. Introduction
That over-sedation or adverse neurologic events might be more common after short term use of atypical antipsychotics compared with typical antipsychotics among patients who underwent cardiac surgery.
Therefore, patients admitted to hospital with cardiac morbidity, such as those with an acute coronary syndrome, might be more vulnerable to the adverse effects of antipsychotics. 2

4. Objective
To compare the risk of in-hospital mortality associated with haloperidol compared with atypical antipsychotics in patients admitted to hospital with acute myocardial infarction. 3

5. Methods 4 Study design and population
We conducted a cohort study using the Premier Research Database from 2003 to 2014.
The patients aged 18 or older admitted to hospital with a primary diagnosis for acute myocardial infarction, identified by ICD-9 codes 410.x0 and 410.x1.
Patients were eligible for inclusion in the study if they received one of the four antipsychotics commonly used in hospital—namely, haloperidol(HDL), olanzapine(OLZ), quetiapine(QTP), or risperidone(RSP). 4

6. Methods 5 We required patients to have a minimum hospital stay of
three days with at least two days free of antipsychotic
treatment after admission.
Patients received more than one antipsychotic on the day of
treatment initiation.
Patients received a coronary artery bypass graft(CABG). 5

7. Methods 6 Exposure and outcome
We defined the exposure as the class of antipsychotic (haloperidol versus atypical antipsychotic) that a patient initiated.
We considered patients to have discontinued treatment if they had two or more consecutive days without treatment, and we defined switching as either receiving the other class of antipsychotic or receiving non-oral antipsychotics.
Outcome: In-hospital mortality during seven days of follow-up from treatment initiation. 6

8. Methods 7 Covariates The covariates included patient
characteristics and conditions that were
plausibly associated with the choice of
antipsychotic and the risk of in-hospital death. 7

9. Methods 8 Statistical analyses Competing risk analysis
Logistic regression models
Cox proportional hazard regression 8

10. Methods 9 Subgroup and sensitivity analyses
age (<75, 75-84, ≥85, or continuous)
Charlson comorbidity index score >4, or continuous
utilization of an intensive care unit (yes or no)
the number of antipsychotic treatment days (≥2 days)
haloperidol with each atypical antipsychotic separately. 9

11. Methods
We included patients who initiated antipsychotics on the first or second day of their hospital stay.
We used a random effects model to acknowledge unmeasured differences in hospital characteristics and practice patterns.
We excluded patients with a recorded diagnosis of dementia. 10

12. Results 11

13. Results
Fig 1 | Cumulative incidence function of in-hospital death in matched cohort during 30 days of follow-up, comparing haloperidol initiators to atypical antipsychotic initiators, accounting for hospital discharge as a competing risk. 12

14. Results 13

15. Results
Fig 2 | Subgroup analyses comparing haloperidol initiators to atypical antipsychotic initiators, based on intention to treat analysis with seven days of follow-up. 14

16. Discussion
acute myocardial infarction → oral haloperidol → increase in the risk of in-hospital death
larger hazard ratios in as-treated analyses： that the potential adverse effect of haloperidol is more pronounced
the fact that most ventricular arrhythmias occur in the first 48 hours after acute myocardial infarction 15

17. Discussion 16 Strengths a large nationwide hospital database
Limitations
We did not have information on patients before they were admitted to hospitals.
If the true prevalence of delirium differed between haloperidol and atypical antipsychotics
The duration of treatment was shorter for haloperidol than for atypical antipsychotics
we did not have information on cause of death. 16

18. Conclusions
We found a small increase in the risk of death during the week after treatment initiation with haloperidol compared with atypical antipsychotics.
The increased risk was strongest during the first four days and no longer evident by day 5 of follow-up. 17

19. Thanks for listening.