Behavioral Emergencies: Special Considerations in the Geriatric Psychiatric Patient

Use of antipsychotic and sedative medications in older patients in the emergency department

BACKGROUND

Antipsychotics and sedatives are used to treat agitation in the emergency department (ED) but carry significant risk in older adults. Our objective was to determine factors associated with their administration to older ED patients.

METHODS

This was an observational study using data from the 2014-2017 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. We identified ED visits for patients aged ≥65 years and determined whether an antipsychotic or sedative was administered. Visits related to substance use/withdrawal, other psychiatric complaints, and intubation were excluded. We performed multivariable logistic regression to identify risk factors for antipsychotic or sedative administration.

RESULTS

Of the 78.7 million ED visits that met inclusion criteria, 3.5% involved at least one dose of antipsychotic or sedative medication; 13% involved an antipsychotic and 92% a sedative. Factors associated with antipsychotic administration included nursing home residence (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.67; 95% CI: 1.05-6.80), dementia (aOR: 5.62; 95% CI: 2.44-12.94), and delirium (aOR: 7.33; 95% CI: 2.21-24.32). Sedative administration was positively associated with CT or MR imaging (aOR: 1.86; 95% CI: 1.42-2.43), urbanicity of ED (aOR: 1.46; 95% CI: 1.02-2.08), and female gender (aOR: 1.47; 95% CI: 1.08-1.99) and negatively associated with older age (age: 75-84; aOR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.49-0.91; age: 85+; aOR: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.45-0.88; reference age: 65-74 years). Antipsychotic and sedative administration were associated with prolonged ED lengths of stay and hospital admission.

CONCLUSION

We identified patient- and facility-level factors associated with sedative and antipsychotic administration in older ED patients. Antipsychotic and sedative administration were associated with prolonged ED lengths of stay and hospital admission.

[Pharmacological and multimodal care of the adult patient with psychiatric presentation in the emergency department]

The pharmacological management of patients with psychiatric presentations, on prescription, and by nurses in emergency medicine structures is based on knowledge of a limited number of molecules and their methods of administration. This is accompanied by a relational approach and techniques to ensure the safety of the teams in the case of an agitated or very resistant patient.

[The elderly with a psychiatric prognosis in the emergency room]

In the emergency department, the diagnosis of an acute psychiatric condition in an elderly patient should only be made after rigorous clinical and paraclinical examinations to rule out any somatic pathology. In addition, the management and treatment of acute agitation must be adapted.

Recommandations de pratique clinique sur la prise en charge du patient adulte à présentation psychiatrique dans les structures d’urgences

De nombreux patients consultant aux urgences souffrent de pathologies psychiatriques préexistantes ou ont une symptomatologie évocatrice d’une pathologie psychiatrique. En effet, les troubles psychiatriques touchent un adulte sur quatre, et 75%des affections psychiatriques débutent avant l’âge de 25 ans. Le parcours de soins d’un patient adulte à présentation psychiatrique dans les structures d’urgences concerne de multiples intervenants. La complexité inhérente à ces patients complexes ainsi qu’à l’interdisciplinarité induite dans la prise en charge impose un cadre de prise en charge clair et consensuel. Des experts de la psychiatrie, de la gérontopsychiatrie et de la médecine d’urgence se sont réunis pour émettre ces recommandations de bonnes pratiques. Le choix de présenter des recommandations de bonnes pratiques et non des recommandations formalisées d’experts a été fait devant l’insuffisance de littérature de fort niveau de preuve dans certaines thématiques et de l’existence de controverses. À travers ces recommandations de bonnes pratiques cliniques, ils se sont attachés à décrire la prise en charge de ses patients aussi bien en préqu’en intrahospitalier. Les objectifs de ces recommandations sont de présenter les éléments indispensables à l’organisation du parcours de soins de ces patients, la gestion de l’agitation ainsi que la prise en charge pharmacologique ou non. Une partie spécifique est consacrée aux aspects réglementaires.

Agitation and Dementia: Prevention and Treatment Strategies in Acute and Chronic Conditions

Agitation is a behavioral syndrome characterized by increased, often undirected, motor activity, restlessness, aggressiveness, and emotional distress. According to several observations, agitation prevalence ranges from 30 to 50% in Alzheimer's disease, 30% in dementia with Lewy bodies, 40% in frontotemporal dementia, and 40% in vascular dementia (VaD). With an overall prevalence of about 30%, agitation is the third most common neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in dementia, after apathy and depression, and it is even more frequent (80%) in residents of nursing homes. The pathophysiological mechanism underlying agitation is represented by a frontal lobe dysfunction, mostly involving the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), respectively, meaningful in selecting the salient stimuli and subsequent decision-making and behavioral reactions. Furthermore, increased sensitivity to noradrenergic signaling has been observed, possibly due to a frontal lobe up-regulation of adrenergic receptors, as a reaction to the depletion of noradrenergic neurons within the locus coeruleus (LC). Indeed, LC neurons mainly project toward the OFC and ACC. These observations may explain the abnormal reactivity to weak stimuli and the global arousal found in many patients who have dementia. Furthermore, agitation can be precipitated by several factors, e.g., the sunset or low lighted environments as in the sundown syndrome, hospitalization, the admission to nursing residencies, or changes in pharmacological regimens. In recent days, the global pandemic has increased agitation incidence among dementia patients and generated higher distress levels in patients and caregivers. Hence, given the increasing presence of this condition and its related burden on society and the health system, the present point of view aims at providing an extensive guide to facilitate the identification, prevention, and management of acute and chronic agitation in dementia patients.

The agitated older adult in the emergency department: a narrative review of common causes and management strategies

Agitation and aggression are common in older emergency department (ED) patients, can impede the expedient diagnosis of potentially life-threatening conditions, and can adversely impact ED functioning and efficiency. Agitation and aggression in older adults may be due to multiple causes, but chief among them are primary psychiatric disorders, substance use, hyperactive delirium, and symptoms of dementia. Understanding the etiology of agitation in an older adult is critical to proper management. Effective non-pharmacologic modalities are available for the management of mild to moderate agitation and aggression in patients with dementia. Pharmacologic management is indicated for agitation related to a psychiatric condition, severe agitation where a patient is at risk to harm self or others, and to facilitate time-sensitive diagnostic imaging, procedures, and treatment. Emergency physicians have several pharmacologic agents at their disposal, including opioid and non-opioid analgesics, antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, ketamine, and combination agents. Emergency physicians should be familiar with geriatric-specific dosing, contraindications, and common adverse effects of these agents. This review article discusses the common causes and non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic management of agitation in older adults, with a specific focus on dementia, delirium, and pain.

Humanism in the Age of COVID-19: Renewing Focus on Communication and Compassion

The global COVID-19 pandemic has become one of the largest clinical and operational challenges faced by emergency medicine, and our EDs continue to see increased volumes of infected patients, many of whom are not only ill, but acutely aware and fearful of their circumstances and potential mortality. Given this, there may be no more important time to focus on staff-patient communication and expression of compassion. However, many of the techniques usually employed by emergency clinicians to provide comfort to patients and their families are made more challenging or impossible by the current circumstances. Geriatric ED patients, who are at increased risk of severe disease, are particularly vulnerable to the effects of isolation. Despite many challenges, emergency clinicians have at their disposal a myriad of tools that can still be used to express compassion and empathy to their patients. Placing emphasis on using these techniques to maximize humanism in the care of COVID-19 patients during this crisis has the potential to bring improvements to ED patient care well after this pandemic has passed.

Prospective study of the safety and effectiveness of droperidol in elderly patients for pre-hospital acute behavioural disturbance

OBJECTIVE

Acute behavioural disturbance in the elderly (≥65 years) is a significant issue for emergency medical services with increasing prevalence of dementia and aging populations. We investigated the pre-hospital safety and effectiveness of droperidol in the elderly with acute behavioural disturbance.

METHODS

This was a pre-hospital prospective observational 1-year study of elderly patients with acute behavioural disturbance. The primary outcome was proportion of adverse events (AEs) (airway intervention, oxygen saturation <90% and/or respiratory rate <12/min, systolic blood pressure <90 mmHg, sedation assessment tool score of -3 and dystonic reactions). Secondary outcomes included time to sedation, additional sedation, proportion with successful sedation.

RESULTS

There were 149 patients (males 78 [52%], median age 78 years; 65-101 years) presenting on 162 occasions. Dementia was the commonest cause (107/164 [65%]) of acute behavioural disturbance. There were six AEs in five patients (5/162 [3%]; 95% confidence interval 1-7). Three had hypotension, one with associated hypoxia (80%); and two had respiratory AEs (respiratory rate, 10/min [no hypoxia] and hypoxia [88%] which required oxygen). Median time to sedation was 19 min (interquartile range 12-29 min). Additional sedation was given in 2/162 patients during ambulance transfer and 16/162 within an hour of hospital arrival; 24/162 (15%) failed to sedate in the ambulance; 16 subsequently settled in ED and 8/24 received additional sedation. Of 162, 123 (76%) patients successfully sedated, without AEs or additional sedation. Of 162, 114 (70%) patients received 5 mg, 46 (29%) received two doses of 5 mg and two patients (1%) received three doses.

CONCLUSIONS

Droperidol appeared to be safe and effective for pre-hospital sedation of acute behavioural disturbance in elderly patients.

Management of Dementia-Related Psychosis, Agitation and Aggression: A Review of the Pharmacology and Clinical Effects of Potential Drug Candidates

Along with cognitive decline, 90% of patients with dementia experience behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, such as psychosis, aggression, agitation, and depression. Atypical antipsychotics are commonly prescribed off-label to manage certain symptoms, despite warnings from the regulatory agencies regarding the increased risk of mortality associated with their use in elderly patients. Moreover, these compounds display a limited clinical efficacy, mostly owing to the fact that they were developed to treat schizophrenia, a disease characterized by neurobiological deficits. Thus, to improve clinical efficacy, it has been suggested that patients with dementia should be treated with exclusively designed and developed drugs that interact with pharmacologically relevant targets. Within this context, numerous studies have suggested druggable targets that might achieve therapeutically acceptable pharmacological profiles. Based on this, several different drug candidates have been proposed that are being investigated in clinical trials for behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. We highlight the recent advances toward the development of therapeutic agents for dementia-related psychosis and agitation/aggression and discuss the relationship between the relevant biological targets and their etiology. In addition, we review the compounds that are in the early stage of development (discovery or preclinical phase) and those that are currently being investigated in clinical trials for dementia-related psychosis and agitation/aggression. We also discuss the mechanism of action of these compounds and their pharmacological utility in patients with dementia.

Psychosocial Suicide Prevention Interventions in the Elderly: A Mini-Review of the Literature

In Europe the elderly population is projected to increase from 18.5% (93.9 million) in 2014 to 28.7% (149.1 million) by 2080. In the United States it is estimated that by 2030 more than 20% of the population will be aged 65 years or over. This specific population is at high risk of unrecognized or untreated psychiatric illnesses and suicide. It is well known that completed suicide rate increases with age in both men and women. Although elderly people attempt suicide less often than other age groups, they show a higher completion rate. Generally, the methods chosen by elderly are more lethal, the intent is more serious, they are more determined, and they show fewer warning signs than the younger population. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis of psychosocial intervention, following self-harm in adults, found that cognitive behavioral therapy was the most effective therapy in these patients. Unfortunately, there have been few reported trials of other potentially effective interventions. Because the scientific literature on psychosocial suicide prevention interventions in the elderly is still scant, we conducted a mini-review in order to take stock of the situation. Studies were identified through electronic searches of the Cochrane library, MEDLINE, Scopus and the Web of Science databases. PRISMA guidelines were followed and only seven articles met the inclusion criteria. No firm conclusions can be drawn about this topic because there is still very little data and studies use inconsistent outcome measures and designs. Nonetheless, the existing data suggests that psychosocial interventions are promising.

Approach to the Agitated Emergency Department Patient

BACKGROUND

Acute agitation is a common occurrence in the emergency department (ED) that requires rapid assessment and management.

OBJECTIVE

This review provides an evidence-based summary of the current ED evaluation and management of acute agitation.

DISCUSSION

Acute agitation is an increasingly common presentation to the ED and has a broad differential diagnosis including metabolic, neurologic, infectious, toxicologic, and psychiatric etiologies. Missed diagnosis of a dangerous etiology of the patient's agitation may result in severe morbidity and mortality. Assessment and management of the agitated patient should occur concurrently. Focused history and physical examination are recommended, though control of the patient's agitation may be required. All patients should receive a point-of-care glucose test, with additional testing depending upon the specific patient presentation. Initial management should involve verbal de-escalation techniques, followed by pharmacologic interventions, with physical restraints reserved as a last resort. Pharmacologic options include first-generation antipsychotics, second-generation antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, and ketamine. Finally, the management of pediatric, pregnant, and elderly patients warrants special consideration.

CONCLUSION

Acute agitation is an important presentation that requires prompt recognition and treatment. A focused and thorough examination coupled with appropriate management strategies can assist emergency clinicians to safely and effectively manage these patients.