Acute Agitation in Emergency Psychiatry

Inclusion Criteria: * 18-64 years * Agitation with the need for tranquillization in inpatient psychiatric settings including psychiatric emergency rooms * Total score of ≥14 on the PANSS Excited Component (PEC) * A score ≥4 on at least 1 of the 5 items of the PEC * Informed consent obtained prior to the occurrence of the emergency Exclusion Criteria: * Involuntary psychiatric admission according to the Danish Mental Health Act * Female patients who are breastfeeding * Female patients aged \<50 years and unable to perform a negative urine screen for pregnancy and not using safe contraceptives * Body weight \<50 kg * Extreme obesity defined as estimated BMI≥ 40 kg/m2 * Clinical situations where acute administration of an antipsychotic is preferred to treat acute agitation (in the opinion of the investigator) * The patient deemed unwilling or unable to cooperate with study procedures (in the opinion of the investigator) * Insufficient language skills that interfere with reading, writing, and providing written informed consent in Danish or other available languages (in the opinion of the investigator) * Clinical suspicion of contraindications for one of the treatment arms * Use of benzodiazepines, other sedatives, or antipsychotic drugs in addition to usual treatment (i.e., additional PN sedative prescriptions) in the 4 hours before study treatment * Known allergy to any of the study medications