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3.15.2 - Managing Aggression in Intensive Care

from Section 3.15 - Psychiatric Disorders Encountered in Intensive Care

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 July 2023

Ned Gilbert-Kawai
Affiliation:
The Royal Liverpool Hospital
Debashish Dutta
Affiliation:
Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, Harlow
Carl Waldmann
Affiliation:
Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading
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Summary

Key Learning Points

  1. 1. All busy hospitals receive violent patients. Staff should be trained in appropriate reduction and response practices. Make the environment as safe as possible, and plan for a ‘worst case scenario’.

  2. 2. For patients who understand their behaviours, set limits to expressions of anger. Aggression must not compromise others’ care.

  3. 3. Identify specific groups at risk of ‘unpredictable aggression’.

  4. 4. Reducing aggression requires: (1) coordinated, multi-level action; (2) treatment of pain, review of medication and safe prescription of sedatives; (3) consistent nursing staff, extra staffing and a multidisciplinary team approach; (4) family involvement; and (5) psychiatric liaison.

  5. 5. After violent events, document and report events accurately, and debrief all staff involved.

Type
Chapter
Information
Intensive Care Medicine
The Essential Guide
, pp. 437 - 440
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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References

References and Further Reading

Hallman, MR, Joffe, AM. ICU management of traumatic brain injury. Curr Anaesthesiol Rep 2013;3:8997.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Helmy, A, Vizcaychipi, M, Gupta, AK. Traumatic brain injury: intensive care management. Br J Anaesth 2007;99:3242.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. 2010. Delirium: prevention, diagnosis and management. Clinical guideline [CG103]. www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg103/chapter/1-guidance#treating-deliriumGoogle Scholar
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. 2015. Violence and aggression: short-term management in mental health, health and community settings. NICE guideline [NG10]. www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng10/chapter/recommendations#terms-used-in-this-guidelineGoogle Scholar
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. 2015. Challenging behaviour and learning disabilities: prevention and interventions for people with learning disabilities whose behaviour challenges. NICE guideline [NG11]. www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng11/chapter/1-Recommendations#general-principles-of-care–2Google Scholar

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