Introduction Agitated delirium is common in patients undergoing mechanical ventilation, and is often treated with haloperidol despite concerns about safety and efficacy. Use of conventional sedatives to control agitation can preclude extubation. Dexmedetomidine, a novel sedative and anxiolytic agent, may have particular utility in these patients. We sought to compare the efficacy of haloperidol and dexmedetomidine in facilitating extubation.

Patients staying at least 14 days comprised one seventh of hospital admissions but used half of bed days and suffered increased in-hospital morbidity and mortality. Several pre-admission associations with prolonged stay were identified.

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