The violent or agitated patient.
Violent and agitated patients are high risk because they may pose a physical threat to the staff, may harm themselves, and may have dangerous comorbidities and illness that are causing the violence. The emergency physician must quickly control these behaviors, and thoroughly identify and treat their etiology, while simultaneously protecting the patients' rights and reducing the risks of injury to themselves, other patients, and medical staff. This article highlights potentially high-risk situations and describes corresponding mitigation tactics.
Rossi
Jennifer
J
Division of Emergency Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 701 Welch Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA.
Swan
Megan C
MC
Isaacs
Eric D
ED
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011595:Psychomotor Agitation / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy; D012149:Restraint, Physical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014754:Violence / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055815:Young Adult
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives