The American journal of emergency medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
A prospective, randomized, controlled trial of benzodiazepines and nitroglycerine or nitroglycerine alone in the treatment of cocaine-associated acute coronary syndromes.
The purpose of the present study was to compare the use of lorazepam plus nitroglycerine (NTG) versus NTG alone in the reduction of cocaine induced chest pain in the emergency department. The secondary objective of the study was to help determine the safety of lorazepam in the treatment of cocaine- associated chest pain. The study was a prospective, randomized, single-blinded, controlled trial conducted at an university-affiliated urban emergency department (ED). ⋯ All patients in the study were admitted to the hospital, but no patient in either group had an acute myocardial infarction or cardiac complications in the ED. No adverse side effects were noted for either group. The early use of lorazepam with NTG was more efficacious than NTG alone, and appears to be safe in relieving cocaine-associated chest pain.