Posts tagged altered mental status
TIPS for Managing the Acutely Agitated Patient

Emergency medicine practitioners commonly care for acutely violent or agitated patients, some of whom may be psychotic, intoxicated, or affected by another pathology. Consequently, medical personnel are more likely to experience work-place violence than police officers or prison guards, with a full 100% of ED staff experiencing verbal violence, and 35-80% reporting a history of physical violence while at work. While it is critical to initiate a work-up to diagnose the underlying cause of a patient’s behavioral dysregulation, it is of primary importance to control the patient’s behavior both for their safety and the safety of the patient’s caregivers…

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