title: Rapid tranquilization of the violent patient.
abstract: Agitated, psychotic patients with the potential for violence pose significant management problems for emergency department staff. With the advent of rapid tranquilization (RT), clinicians were offered a safe, effective method for controlling such patients, eliminating the need for restraints or seclusion rooms. While RT is regarded as a major treatment innovation in psychiatry, nonpsychiatrists are reluctant or unaware of the uses of antipsychotic medication as it pertains to RT. This article provides a brief overview of the pharmacokinetics of antipsychotic medication and reviews the following aspects of RT: route of administration, dosing, time intervals between doses, side effects, and alternative medications for RT. The authors also offer practical guidelines for RT use in the emergency department.
authors.affiliation: Philadelphia Psychiatric Center, PA.
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Dubin
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Feld
mesh_terms: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D011595:Psychomotor Agitation / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013997:Time Factors; D014754:Violence
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents