Abstract
When youth in the emergency department become acutely agitated, it can be dangerous and distressing to patients, families, and clinicians. Timely, effective, and patient-centered management is key to reducing the potential for patient and staff injury while preserving patient dignity. We review the definition of agitation and pharmacologic management for youth with acute agitation, including common classes of medications, indications for use, and adverse effects. We also discuss the need to integrate the use of medications into a comprehensive strategy for agitation management that begins with proactive prevention of aggressive behavior, creation of a therapeutic treatment environment, and verbal de-escalation strategies.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 417-422 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Pediatric emergency care |
| Volume | 37 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2021 |
Funding
From the *Attending Physician, Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, †Attending Physician, Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, and ‡Clinical Pharmacist, Department of Pharmacy, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL. The authors, faculty, and staff in a position to control the content of this CME activity have disclosed that they have no financial relationships with, or financial interest in, any commercial organizations relevant to this educational activity. Reprints: Jennifer Hoffmann, MD, 225 E Chicago Ave, Box 62, Chicago, IL 60611 (e‐mail: [email protected]). J.H. receives grant support from the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (Grant 5K12HS026385-03). Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved. ISSN: 0749-5161
Keywords
- aggression
- agitation
- antipsychotics
- benzodiazepines
- mental health
- psychiatry
- youth
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
- Emergency Medicine