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. 2008 May 14;12(Suppl 3):S3. doi: 10.1186/cc6149

Table 3.

Interventions for the prevention and treatment of ICU delirium

Intervention Effecta Supporting evidenceb
Nonpharmacologic
 Multicomponent strategy Prevention Non-ICU clinical trials [56,58]
 Geriatrics consultation Prevention Non-ICU clinical trials [57]
 Reduced benzodiazepine use Prevention Prospective ICU cohort studies [40]
Pharmacologic
 Haloperidol Both Placebo-controlled, randomized, non-ICU trial [62]
 Olanzapine Treatment Non-randomized ICU trial [63]
 Adequate analgesia Prevention Prospective non-ICU cohort studies [45]
 Dexmedetomidine Prevention Randomized ICU trials [68,69]

aAlthough each intervention may have a role in both the prevention and treatment of intensive care unit (ICU) delirium, most have only been studied in one role or the other. bReferences highlight prototypical studies and do not represent an exhaustive review of the literature.