Qld ambos find new sedative safer, easier

A new sedative being rolled out in Queensland after a successful trial could make paramedics there safer from violent patients.

Droperidol has been found to work 70 per cent faster, have fewer side effects and be less invasive than standard sedative Midazolam, after a 260-person, 12-month trial by Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) was completed last year.

The trial was sparked by a large number of emergency service personnel being attacked by drunk and drug-affected patients in the state, prompting healthcare officials to look for a more effective sedative.

QAS policy boss Lachlan Parker said Droperidol ticked a number of boxes, including being easier to administer than its predecessor, which works best when injected directly into a vein.

"The good thing about Droperidol is we found it works really quickly if we give an (intramuscular) injection," Mr Parker told AAP.

"And that really helps our paramedics because it means we don't have to fight someone to get a drip in them."

Paramedics have been using Midazolam for years despite knowing it induced adverse side affects in patients, Mr Parker said.

"The risk is you never know what people need," he said.

The more you give, the more likely it is they're going to have an adverse reaction to having dose of the drug, Mr Parker said.

"People can get problems with their breathing, so their breathing is slowed down, or they can get low blood pressure or what not."

Droperidol is being rolled out across the Queensland Ambulance Service as a permanent drug.