Condition Lookup
Sub-Category:
Behavioral Crises
Number of Conditions: 1
Severe Agitation or Aggression
Specialty: Emergency and Urgent Care
Category: Psychiatric and Behavioral Emergencies
Sub-category: Behavioral Crises
Symptoms:
physical aggression; verbal outbursts; restlessness; disorientation; self-harming behavior; destruction of property
Root Cause:
May stem from psychiatric disorders (e.g., mania, psychosis, personality disorders), substance intoxication or withdrawal, head trauma, or metabolic disturbances (e.g., hypoglycemia).
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Observation of behavior, patient history, physical examination, and ruling out medical causes (e.g., lab work, imaging for head injuries).
Treatment:
De-escalation techniques, physical or chemical restraint (if necessary), treating underlying causes, and possibly hospitalization.
Medications:
Sedatives (e.g., lorazepam ), antipsychotics (e.g., haloperidol or aripiprazole ), mood stabilizers (e.g., carbamazepine for underlying bipolar disorder), and beta-blockers (e.g., propranolol for aggression).
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Common in emergency settings, particularly among patients with known psychiatric or substance use disorders.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Mental health disorders, substance use, stressful events, prior history of aggression, traumatic brain injury.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Good with prompt management and treatment of underlying issues, though recurrence is possible without ongoing care.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Physical harm to self or others, legal issues, social isolation, worsening of underlying conditions.