Use of risperidone in delirium: case reports.

Traditionally, high-potency neuroleptics such as haloperidol have been used with success in the treatment of organic brain syndromes, but they have been associated with significant side effects such as EPS. We present the first case reports of a newer antipsychotic, risperidone, in the treatment of two delirious patients. Risperidone may prove to be an effective alternative to haloperidol in delirious patients, especially the elderly and the severely medically ill, who are more prone to adverse effects. Two case histories are presented, one of a 60-year-old man and the other of a 14-year-old boy in whom delirium was successfully treated with low doses of risperidone.