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Chapter 11 - Acute Behavioural Disturbance in the General Hospital

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 January 2024

By
Ankush Singhal ,
Sridevi Sira Mahalingappa ,
Deepa Bagepalli Krishnan  and
Rachel Thomasson
Edited by
Rachel Thomasson ,
Elspeth Guthrie  and
Allan House
Rachel Thomasson
Affiliation:
Manchester Centre for Clinical Neurosciences
Elspeth Guthrie
Affiliation:
Leeds Institute of Health Sciences
Allan House
Affiliation:
Leeds Institute of Health Sciences
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Summary

Patients presenting with acute behavioural disturbance pose a significant challenge in terms of management of risk to the patient (particularly when there is potentially life-threatening illness and/or injury) and to others. The consultation-liaison (CL) team offers acute advice and expertise across the general hospital setting and has a key role in policy development in collaboration with medical colleagues to ensure timely and effective intervention for patients presenting with acute behavioural disturbance. This chapter explores aetiological factors contributing to presentations of acute behavioural disturbance and approach to assessment. Behavioural and pharmacological interventions are outlined along with guides for optimising assessment and management of patients with acute behavioural disturbance in the emergency department (ED).

Keywords

agitationaggressionviolencerapid tranquilisationde-escalation
Type
Chapter
Information
Seminars in Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry , pp. 172 - 188
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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