Results There is some evidence of the effectiveness of medication in treating DBDs , with positive outcomes for lithium and risperidone in particular .
Pharmacotherapy also demonstrated some efficacy in reducing symptoms of aggression .
Medication was relatively well-tolerated , as indicated by equivalent dropout rates in medication and comparison groups .
Rationale Pharmacotherapy is frequently considered in the treatment of  disruptive behavior disorders ( DBDs ) in children and adolescents .
There are , however , no systematic review s of this literature .
Objectives The aim of this work is to determine whether medication is effective in treating pediatric disruptive behavior disorders and related problems of impulse control , as well as to examine differences in the treatment response and tolerability of different medication classes and agents .
P.r.n. medications in child psychiatric patients: a pilot placebo-controlled study.
BACKGROUND The administration p.r.n . ( as needed ) of sedative medications is a widespread practice in the management of acute dyscontrol of child psychiatric in patients . Its efficacy , however , has never been tested in a controlled clinical trial . METHOD Twenty-one male in patients , aged 5 - 13 years , participated in a double-blind , placebo-controlled study of the p.r.n . use of diphenhydramine , a sedative antihistaminic often used in child psychiatry wards . The patients ' DSM-III-R diagnoses were conduct disorder , attention-deficit hyperactivity , and major depression . Each patient in acute dyscontrol blindly received either oral or intramuscular doses of diphenhydramine 25 - 50 mg ( N = 9 ) or placebo ( N = 12 ) . The Conners Abbreviated 10-Item Teacher Rating Scale and the Clinical Global Impressions scale were completed before and 0.5 , 1 , and 2 hours after the dose . RESULTS Repeated measures ANOVA showed significant time effects , but no difference due to drug . The intramuscular route tended to be more effective than the oral , regardless of whether active drug or placebo was given . CONCLUSION The data indicate that if p.r.n . administrations are effective , this is a placebo effect . Likewise , intramuscular administrations are more effective because of a route effect ( " the needle " ) and not because of a specific pharmacologic activity
Results There is some evidence of the effectiveness of medication in treating DBDs , with positive outcomes for lithium and risperidone in particular .
Pharmacotherapy also demonstrated some efficacy in reducing symptoms of aggression .
Medication was relatively well-tolerated , as indicated by equivalent dropout rates in medication and comparison groups .
Rationale Pharmacotherapy is frequently considered in the treatment of  disruptive behavior disorders ( DBDs ) in children and adolescents .
There are , however , no systematic review s of this literature .
Objectives The aim of this work is to determine whether medication is effective in treating pediatric disruptive behavior disorders and related problems of impulse control , as well as to examine differences in the treatment response and tolerability of different medication classes and agents .