IM ziprasidone (Geodon) has a relatively quick onset of action with a half-life of 2-5 hours. Although commonly used in adults, there has not been a study looking at an effective dose in pediatrics. Based on the study referenced, the suggested pediatric dose of ziprasidone is 0.2 mg/kg (max 20mg).
Additional Information
This is the first study looking at ziprasidone in the pediatric emergency department population. This was a retrospective observational study of children 5-18 years old who were treated with IM ziprasidone. 40 patients received IM ziprasidone in a tertiary care pediatric emergency department between 2007-2015. 2/3 of the patients had ADHD and 1/3 had autism spectrum disorder. Other diagnosis included post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder and intellectual disabilities.
68% of patients responded to the initial dose. The initial dose was 0.19 +/- 0.1 mg/kg in the responder group and 0.13 +/- 0.06 mg/kg in the non-responder group. Single doses ranged from 2.5 mg to 20 mg total.
No patients had respiratory depression. Two patients had potential extra-pyramidal symptoms, but one was prior to ziprasidone administration and the other patient had baseline facial twitching with no documentation if there was a change after ziprasidone administration.
References
Nguyen T, Stanton J and Foster R. Intramuscular Ziprasidone Dosing for Acute Agitation in the Pediatric Emergency Department: An observational Study. Journal of Pharmacy Practice 1-4. 2017.
