Management of Pediatric Patients With Autistic Spectrum Disorders in the Emergency Department

James G. MacKenzie*, Gathi Abraham, Shannon M. Goebel

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

Children and adolescents with autistic spectrum disorders present a special challenge in the emergency department setting due to highly individualized emotional-behavioral and communicative characteristics. When an autistic patient presents with agitated behavior, the emergency care provider must consider both emotional and somatic etiologies as well as which treatment modalities best serve the patient. Effective communication with parents, caretakers, and outpatient providers provides useful insights into likely etiologies of agitation as well as effective management strategies.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)56-59
Number of pages4
JournalClinical pediatric emergency medicine
Volume14
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2013

Keywords

  • Agitation
  • Autism spectrum disorders
  • Child and adolescent psychiatry
  • Emergency department

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
  • Emergency Medicine

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