Acute laryngeal dystonia: drug-induced respiratory failure related to antipsychotic medications

Acute laryngeal dystonia (ALD) is a drug-induced dystonic reaction that can lead to acute respiratory failure and is potentially life-threatening if unrecognized.

It was first reported in 1978 when two individuals were noticed to develop difficulty breathing after administration of haloperidol. Multiple cases have since been reported with the use of first generation antipsychotics (FGAs) and more

recently second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs).