In Reply We read the comments by Dr Abe and colleagues, who work in palliative care medicine at a cancer center, as arising from a clinical care model that is quite different from the typical short-term agitated states of individuals with bipolar disorder. The aim of our study was not to demonstrate long-term efficacy or treat underlying illness. The objective was to assess treatment of an acute episode of agitation in patients with bipolar disorder in urgent care settings such as an emergency facility or within an inpatient medical setting.
