Episode 42: Droperidol Black Box Warning

December 4, 2001. A bad day, indeed. That’s the day the FDA issued a black box warning for droperidol, citing evidence of QT prolongation, Torsades de Pointes, and death. This was a surprise warning because droperidol had been extensively used by emergency medicine and anesthesiology for decades without apparent problems. Since this bad day, we’ve essentially been without droperidol. Fortunately, it’s back! Before we start using it again, we should take a look at what got this drug on the FDA’s radar. Dr. Jarvis reviews the literature about the “evidence” behind the warning and describes how his systems will be bringing droperidol back into practice.