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Haloperidol complications in burn patients.
1Longwood Area Trauma and Burn Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115.
The Journal of Burn Care & Rehabilitation
|July 1, 1987
Summary
Severe burn patients may be more susceptible to extrapyramidal symptoms, like muscle rigidity, when treated with haloperidol. This increased risk may stem from heightened acetylcholine sensitivity in burn-injured skeletal muscles.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Burn Medicine
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Neuropsychiatric complications are frequent in major burn patients.
- Haloperidol is a common treatment for severe psychopathic behavior in these patients.
Observation:
- Severe muscle rigidity, an extrapyramidal side effect (EPS) of haloperidol, was observed in several burn patients.
- This suggests a potential link between haloperidol use and EPS in the context of burn injury.
Findings:
- Haloperidol induces EPS by creating a dopaminergic-cholinergic imbalance in the basal ganglia, favoring cholinergic activity.
- Burn patients might have increased susceptibility to EPS due to heightened sensitivity of neuromuscular junctions to acetylcholine post-injury.
Implications:
- Clinicians should be aware of the increased risk of haloperidol-induced EPS in burn patients.
- Further research into the mechanisms of heightened acetylcholine sensitivity in burn patients is warranted.
- This understanding may inform safer psychotropic medication strategies for burn survivors.