Violent behavior of patients admitted in emergency following drug suicidal attempt: a specific staff educational crisis intervention.
OBJECTIVE
In spite of much effort to create guidelines on the management of violent behavior (VB) in emergency departments, little is known about the impact of such guidelines on a real-life emergency environment. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of a staff educational crisis intervention (SECI) on the reduction of VB in patients admitted to emergency departments following drug suicidal attempt.


METHODS
The impact of a SECI on VB of patient consulting the ER following a drug suicide attempt was assessed by comparing the occurrence of VB before (5 months) and after (5 months) the introduction of a SECI.


RESULTS
A significant reduction in VB (from 17.32% to 7.14%) was found with the comparison of two 5-month periods: before (254 patients) and after (224 patients) the introduction of a SECI program (chi(2)=11.238; P=.0008).


CONCLUSIONS
These preliminary data suggest the need for further prospective randomized studies aiming to prevent VB in emergency departments by developing specific SECI programs.
Cailhol
Lionel
L
Service d'accueil d'urgence et de liaison psychiatrique, Cantonal University Hospital Geneva, 24 rue Micheli-du-Crest, Universitary Hospital Geneva 24, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
Allen
Michael
M
Moncany
Anne-Hélène
AH
Cicotti
Andrei
A
Virgillito
Salvatore
S
Barbe
Rémy P
RP
Lazignac
Coralie
C
Damsa
Cristian
C
D003419:Crisis Intervention / Q000379:methods*; D062787:Drug Overdose; D004637:Emergency Services, Psychiatric; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D009294:Narcotics / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D010343:Patient Admission; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology*; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology*
D009294:Narcotics