Aggression is common in children and adolescents on psychiatric units. Rates ofaggression are 27% to 78% on forensic adolescent units, and similar onnon-forensic units. Sometimes rapid tranquilization is needed for managing thisproblem – but no good quality systematic reviews exist for this population.

Weplanned to do a systematic review of psychotropics compared to placebo or otherpsychotropics by any route used as rapid tranquilization in aggression in childrenand adolescents with any mental disorder.

The aimis to provide evidence based and generalisable knowledge.

The‘PICO’ is as follows: Populationis children and adolescents up to the age18 with aggression and a mentaldisorder; Interventionsare psychotropics by any route; Comparisonsare placebo or other psychotropics by any route; and Outcomes are efficacyand safety. Only RCTs are eligible. A comprehensive search is carried outof Medline, Embase, Psychinfo and other databases. Articles selection anddata extraction is carried out by two reviewers independently for reliability. Articles are assessed for quality. Meta-analysis is preferred if warranted byheterogeneity assessment; otherwise narrative synthesis will be done usingGRADE evaluation.

Thereview is underway. The effect sizes would be as follows: for dichotomousoutcomes relative risk, absolute risk change and numbers needed; and forcontinuous outcomes mean difference or standardized mean difference. Thesewould be sensitivity analyzed. If meta-analysis were not warranted, thennarrative synthesis will be presented.

Conclusions will be drawn for relative efficacy and safety of thepsychotropics.