Abstract

The management of acutely agitated patients represents a challenge in the prehospital and transport setting. Agitated patients are not only a threat to themselves but also to the providers and the transport vehicle in which they travel. There are a variety of techniques that can be used to manage agitated behavior. These include verbal management techniques, physical restraints, pharmacologic interventions, or a combination of these. A drug is considered a restraint when it is used with the intent to manage or restrict the patient's behavior or freedom of movement and is not a standard treatment or dosage for the patient's condition. Russell D. MacDonald, MD, MPH, FCFP, FRCPC, is the medical director at Ornge Transport Medicine; an associate professor at the University of Toronto; and an attending staff member at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He can be reached at [email protected]. Suad Albulushi, MD, ARBEM, OMSB(EM), is a fellow in the clinical track of the emergency medicine fellowship program in the Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.