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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Alcohol intoxication, injuries, and dangerous behaviors--and the revolving emergency department door.

Suicides, homicides, motor vehicle crashes, and other violent deaths and injuries are linked inextricably to alcoholism. The association of injury and alcoholism should be particularly obvious to Emergency Department (ED) physicians. We sought to determine the extent to which intoxicated patients in an ED were properly diagnosed, counselled, and referred for substance abuse care. We reviewed the charts of 153 consecutive patients seen in a teaching hospital ED who had blood alcohol levels above 100 mg%. Most were male (70%), white (62%), young (mean age, 34 years) and severely intoxicated (mean BAL, 245; range, 109-558 mg%). Forty-six per cent of visits were for trauma; half of the patients were victims of violent assaults. The intoxicated patients received extensive medical and surgical management: an average of five tests or X-rays were performed per patient; 75% received at least one medication; at discharge 48% were referred for followup to medical or surgical clinics. In contrast, few patients were evaluated for dangerous behaviors or referred for treatment of alcoholism: only 19 patients (12.5%) were asked about depression, suicide, or homicide; 15% were advised to stop drinking; 13% received a referral to a psychiatrist, mental health worker, or alcohol rehabilitation facility. Forty-seven per cent of patients received "stat" intravenous thiamine (although the Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is rare). In contrast, only 16% received a stat on-site psychiatric consultation (although dangerous behaviors are common in alcoholics). There was a strong, statistically significant negative association between the occurrence of an injury and the decision to initiate treatment and referrals for alcoholism.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult

Dangerous behavior in a demented patient. Preserving autonomy in a patient with diminished competence.

When a cognitively-impaired elderly man nearly caused a serious fire at home through his inappropriate use of a gas oven, the incident raised questions about his capacity to live alone. Although he clearly wanted to preserve his independence, the health care team felt obligated to assure his safety. The following discussion of dangerous behavior in a demented elderly man elicits and portrays these conflicting values, and highlights the physician's obligations in such ethically and legally complex situations.

Activities of Daily Living

Limitsetting: dealing with difficult patients.

"Limitsetting" is an overall term for interventions that decrease problematic behavior. Orthopaedic units seem to have more than their share of patients with problematic behavior. Reasons for this include the pain, immobility, and body image changes as well as the fact that preinjury personality factors may include impulsive and angry dynamics. The limits set must match the behavior manifested. Dangerous behavior, the highest priority, demands an immediate, decisive strategy. Direct statements should be concrete and specific with positive, absolute directives of what must be done. Two case studies are included.

Adolescent

On the predictability of violent behavior: considerations and guidelines.

Following a semantic discussion of dangerousness, and having established its dynamic concept, the authors define the prediction of dangerous behavior as the anticipation of an antisocial act towards others. The present-day dilemma of predicting dangerous behavior is discussed. An extensive review of sociological and psychiatric studies is presented. Further, the authors stress the vital importance of predicting violent behavior in view of statistical data concerning rampant violent crime in the United States. They encourage more cooperation between psychiatric experts and the judicial system in view of the common social problem all are faced with. Better diagnostic procedures and more logically deductive factual expert reports are hoped for. The authors postulate that prediction is strictly connected with the possible prevention of dangerous behavior and the continuation of a civilized, secure society.

Aggression

Coping with the disruptive college student: a practical model.

This article offers some practical suggestions for college faculty and administrators who must deal with disruptive students. It emphasizes the need for well-defined codes of student conduct and clear procedures for dealing with disruptive behavior, and considers why university officials may be reluctant to deal with disciplinary problems related to psychiatric disturbances. The author discusses the distinction between disruptive and dangerous behavior, looks at the use of mandatory psychiatric withdrawals, makes recommendations for conditions of re-enrollment, and suggests how a campus mental health service can be useful in dealing with the problem.

Administrative Personnel

Relationship between preadmission threats and later violent behavior by acute psychiatric inpatients.

The medical charts of 253 patients admitted to an acute psychiatric inpatient unit were reviewed for evidence of threats of violence within the two weeks before admission and violent behavior during the first three days of hospitalization. Fifty-eight percent of the patients who had made threats before admission required seclusion for dangerous behavior in the hospital, and 32 percent of the patients who had made threats physically assaulted someone in the hospital. The association between preadmission threats and subsequent violence was especially strong among schizophrenic patients. Compared with schizophrenic patients who did not threaten others, those who had made preadmission threats were more likely to be physically and verbally assaultive and were more likely to require seclusion. Manic patients who had made threats were more likely than those who had not made threats to be verbally assaultive while in the hospital.

Adolescent

Factors predicting referral to inpatient or outpatient treatment from psychiatric emergency services.

Dispositional decisions in ten psychiatric emergency rooms in New York State were examined using logistic regression. Variables influencing recommendations for inpatient or outpatient psychiatric treatment were fairly consistent across the hospitals. All terms used in the regression model were interactions formed from five variables: dangerous behavior as a reason for referral, severity of the mental disorder, the hospital where the patient presented, current signs of psychosis, and a diagnosis of major mental illness. A sixth variable, assaultive behavior in the emergency room, also influenced disposition decisions but could not be considered in the model because all patients with that characteristic were referred for inpatient treatment. A model of disposition decisions based on interactions of variables may be especially powerful because it captures the dynamic combination of factors clinicians encounter.

Adult

Automobile carburetor- and radiator-related burns.

Seventy-nine persons who had sustained automobile engine carburetor- and radiator-related burns were admitted to Grady Memorial Hospital Burn Unit between June 1, 1984 and September 30, 1990. Forty patients with carburetor-priming flame burns had a mean age of 31.5 years, a mean burn size of 13.4% total body surface area, and a mean length of stay of 13.8 days. There were 37 male patients. Four patients had an inhalation injury. Twenty-two surgical procedures were performed on 13 patients. One patient was an innocent bystander, and one patient died. The clothing of 16 patients had ignited, which resulted in larger, deeper burns and in one death. Burns predominantly involved the right sides of the face, head, and torso; the right upper extremity; and the right hand. Thirty-nine patients had scald burns that were associated with uncapping a radiator. These patients had a mean age of 29.6 years, a mean burn size of 8.9% total body surface area, and a mean length of stay of 6.4 days. There were 36 male patients and three innocent bystanders. One autografting procedure was performed, and there were no deaths in this group of patients. The burn-prone person is the young adult male. The circumstances that result in such dangerous behavior are predictable, and resultant burn injuries are preventable.

Accidents, Occupational

Soda pop vending machine injuries: an update.

Soda pop vending machine tipping continues to be a dangerous behavior that can result in lethal or crippling injuries. This study analyzes 64 cases of injuries secondary to crushing by a soda machine. All were male victims except one. The average age was 19.8 years with a range of 5-39 years. Thirteen victims sustained multiple trauma. Fifteen victims were killed. Increased public awareness coupled with support by the government and private industry has contributed to a sharp reduction in incidence of accidents and improved public safety.

Accident Prevention