Rapid tranquilization: new approaches in the emergency treatment of behavioral disturbances.
Psychiatric emergencies are often accompanied by behavioral disturbances that interfere with normal assessment and call for immediate intervention. Different pharmacological treatment regimens have been used for this purpose. Most of these regimens are based upon common clinical practice and have limited evidence base. Recently, a major publication by experts in the field of emergency psychiatry has covered this topic and the therapeutic armamentarium has been extended with the atypical antipsychotics. However, research is still hampered by different methodological limitations: unclear definition of the agitated state and therapeutic goal, idiosyncratic measurement, small sample sizes. The perspective of the patient and the interaction between the emergency care setting and treatment regimen also need further attention. All these important, but often neglected issues are covered in a selective review of the literature.
Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Merestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. jurgen.defruyt@azbrugge.be
Jürgen
J
De Fruyt
Koen
K
Demyttenaere
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000145:classification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004637:Emergency Services, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D011595:Psychomotor Agitation / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013997:Time Factors; D014149:Tranquilizing Agents / Q000145:classification / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D014149:Tranquilizing Agents