Psychiatry and Mental Healthcommon
A 52-year-old man is admitted to hospital after a fall at home and is managed with analgesia and bed rest. Thirty-six hours after admission he becomes restless and asks repeatedly when he can leave. He is sweating, his outstretched hands shake, and he says he feels 'jumpy inside'; his pulse is 112/min, blood pressure 158/94 mmHg and temperature 37.4°C, and he is fully orientated. His wife mentions that he drinks a bottle of wine and several beers each evening, and he has already received intravenous thiamine. Which one of the following is the most appropriate initial pharmacological treatment?