Rivastigmine for the management of anticholinergic delirium

Abstract

Introduction

Anticholinergic agents are commonly taken in overdose, often causing delirium. The spectrum of anticholinergic delirium ranges from mild agitation to severe behavioural disturbance. Physostigmine is an effective treatment for anticholinergic delirium, but its availability is limited. As rivastigmine is readily available, it has been used to manage anticholinergic delirium; however, there is limited research investigating its use.

Method

This was a retrospective review of patients with anticholinergic delirium treated in two toxicology units with rivastigmine (oral capsule or transdermal patch) from January 2019 to June 2023. The primary outcome was the use of further parenteral treatment (sedation or physostigmine) for delirium post rivastigmine administration.

Results

Fifty patients were administered rivastigmine for the management of anticholinergic delirium. The median age was 36 years (interquartile range: 25–49 years) and 27 (54 per cent) were females. Features consistent with anticholinergic toxicity included tachycardia in 44 (88 per cent) and urinary retention requiring catheterisation in 40 (80 per cent). Forty-three patients (86 per cent) were treated with physostigmine before rivastigmine administration. Twenty-two were managed with transdermal rivastigmine (most commonly 9.5 mg/24 hour patch), and 28 with oral rivastigmine 6 mg. Further parenteral sedation and/or physostigmine treatment were required more often in patients given transdermal than oral rivastigmine [16/22 (73 per cent) versus 9/28 (32 per cent), P = 0.010)]. No patients had bradycardia or gastrointestinal symptoms following rivastigmine administration. One patient with a history of epilepsy had a seizure, 1.5 hours post physostigmine administration and 7 hours post transdermal rivastigmine.

Discussion

Rivastigmine has been increasingly used for the management of patients with anticholinergic delirium, due to the lack of availability of physostigmine. In this case series, rivastigmine transdermal patch appeared to be less effective than oral rivastigmine capsules, likely due to its slow onset of action and/or insufficient dose.

Conclusion

Rivastigmine can be used to treat anticholinergic delirium. In our case series oral rivastigmine appeared more effective than transdermal rivastigmine.

Keywords:

• Anticholinergic
• antimuscarinic
• cholinesterase inhibitor
• rivastigmine
• antidote
• delirium

Author contribution

AC, KI, BC, AH: drafted and edited the manuscript, AC, KI, AH: collated the patient data. All authors approved the final version of this manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, [AC], upon reasonable request.

Angela L. Chiew is funded by a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Investigator Grant (Emerging Leadership 1): ID 2016380.