Heisenberg in the ER: observation appears to reduce involuntary intramuscular injections in a psychiatric emergency service
Received 1 May 2006; accepted 1 June 2006.
Abstract
Introduction
Chemical restraint is controversial. Appropriate use is ill-defined and chemical restraint may be overutilized. During the period of an unrelated observational study for patients with acute psychomotor agitation in a psychiatric emergency service, we noticed a significant reduction in the number of involuntary intramuscular injections administered.
Results
We observed a 27% decrease (P=.015) in the number of involuntary intramuscular injections in the 3-month observational study period, compared to 3-month periods before and after the study.
Conclusion
We suggest that the observation process itself may have been beneficial and may have reduced the incidence of unnecessary intramuscular injections.
aService d'accueil, d'urgence et de liaison psychiatrique, Cantonal Universitary Hospital Geneva, 24, rue Micheli-du-Crest, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
bClinical Investigation Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO 80220, USA
cService d'urgences psychiatriques, Centre Hospitalier Régional “La Citadelle,” Boulevard du Douzième de Ligne, 1, 4000 Liège, Belgium
Corresponding author. Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Investigation Program, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, 4455 East 12th Avenue, Denver, CO 80220, USA.
ABSTRACT