Child and adolescent psychiatric clinics of North America
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Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am · Jul 2018
Crisis in the Emergency Department: The Evaluation and Management of Acute Agitation in Children and Adolescents.
Acute agitation in children and adolescents in the emergency department carries significant risks to patients and staff and requires skillful management, using both nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic strategies. Effective management of agitation requires understanding and addressing the multifactorial cause of the agitation. ⋯ Nonpharmacologic deescalation strategies should be first line for preventing and managing agitation and should continue during and after medication administration. Choice of medication should focus on addressing the cause of the agitation and any underlying psychiatric syndromes.