Section 19 Flashcards
(40 cards)
What are the primary concerns in managing psychiatric emergencies?
Ensuring patient safety, de-escalation, and stabilization.
How is acute agitation managed in emergency settings?
Verbal de-escalation, environmental control, and medications like benzodiazepines or antipsychotics if necessary.
What are the common causes of acute agitation?
Substance intoxication, psychiatric disorders, head trauma, and metabolic disturbances.
What is the emergency management for suicidal ideation?
Risk assessment, ensuring patient safety, and psychiatric consultation.
How is violence risk assessed in emergency care?
Evaluating past behavior, current mental state, substance use, and access to weapons.
What are the clinical signs of acute psychosis?
Hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking, and altered reality perception.
How is acute psychosis managed in emergency settings?
Stabilization, antipsychotic medication, and psychiatric evaluation.
What is the role of chemical restraint in emergency psychiatry?
To manage severe agitation or aggression when verbal de-escalation fails.
What medications are typically used for chemical restraint?
Benzodiazepines (lorazepam), antipsychotics (haloperidol), and sometimes ketamine.
What are the symptoms of serotonin syndrome?
Agitation, confusion, sweating, tremors, and hyperthermia.
How is serotonin syndrome managed?
Discontinuation of the offending agent, supportive care, and sometimes cyproheptadine.
What is neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS)?
A life-threatening reaction to antipsychotic drugs causing fever, rigidity, and altered mental status.
How is neuroleptic malignant syndrome treated in emergency care?
Immediate cessation of the antipsychotic, cooling measures, and supportive care.
What are the clinical signs of delirium?
Confusion, disorientation, fluctuating consciousness, and impaired attention.
How is delirium managed in emergency settings?
Identify the underlying cause, reorient the patient, and manage symptoms.
What are the risk factors for delirium in emergency care?
Age, pre-existing cognitive impairment, infections, and medication side effects.
What is the purpose of psychiatric evaluation in emergency care?
To assess mental state, risk of harm, and the need for psychiatric intervention.
How is substance-induced psychosis identified?
Acute onset following substance use with hallucinations, delusions, and altered behavior.
How is substance-induced psychosis managed?
Supportive care, withdrawal management, and psychiatric follow-up.
What are the signs of catatonia in emergency presentations?
Immobility, mutism, posturing, and resistance to movement.
How is catatonia managed in emergency care?
Benzodiazepines, supportive care, and sometimes electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
What are the symptoms of anxiety disorder in emergency settings?
Palpitations, sweating, hyperventilation, and a sense of impending doom.
How is acute anxiety managed in emergency care?
Reassurance, breathing exercises, and sometimes benzodiazepines.
What are the signs of panic disorder?
Sudden onset of intense fear, palpitations, sweating, and chest pain.
