SUMMARY
BACKGROUND: The availability of psychotic medications in primary health care in Indonesia is in a limited number. The center of psychiatric health-care provides varied types of medications. However, the quantities are limited, in which the second generation of psychotic drugs is relatively expensive. Common available drug medications are haloperidol and diazepam.AIM: This study aims to investigate the difference scores of Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS-EC) in psychotic agitation patients of haloperidol prescription and those who have been prescribed with haloperidol and diazepam injections at Prof. Dr. M. Ildrem Mental Hospital, Medan North Sumatera, Indonesia.METHODS: This study involved 64 psychotic agitation patients who were divided into two groups. The first group was 32 patients who have been prescribed by 5 mg of haloperidol injections and the second group was 32 patients who have been injected by 5 mg of haloperidol and 10 mg of diazepam. The PANSS-EC score assessment was performed for 1 h due to the side effects of medication consumption.RESULTS: A significant comparison in terms of the decreasing of PANSS-EC scores in psychotic agitation patients who have been injected by the combination of haloperidol and diazepam was confirmed during the assessment of 30 and 60 min (p < 0.001). The extrapyramidal side effects in haloperidol group were found in two subjects, and the reinjections of combination therapy of haloperidol and diazepam were lower than those with one type of drugs medication, which, respectively, were accounted for 56.25% and 84.37%.CONCLUSIONS: Combination therapy of haloperidol and diazepam had more accelerating effects in reducing agitation compared to those prescribed by only haloperidol.