Sedation and restraint in the ED - Oxford Medicine
(p. 219) Sedation and restraint in the ED
, and Fleur Cantle
This chapter provides a discussion of the challenges facing the emergency physician dealing with an agitated patient in the emergency department. The differential diagnosis of a patient with agitation is presented and the challenges differentiating between primary and secondary psychosis highlighted. Section 136 and ‘a place of safety’ are discussed.
It examines the evidence base for three key clinical questions;physical restraint in a patient on a section 136; examination of the different agents used for pharmacological sedation; and the concept of ‘medically clearing’ a patient who is thought to have a primary psychiatric diagnosis.