Faculty Bibliography

Introduction/UNASSIGNED:Agitation in children and adolescents in the emergency department (ED) can be dangerous and distressing for patients, family and staff. We present consensus guidelines for management of agitation among pediatric patients in the ED, including non-pharmacologic methods and the use of immediate and as-needed medications. Methods/UNASSIGNED:Using the Delphi method of consensus, a workgroup comprised of 17 experts in emergency child and adolescent psychiatry and psychopharmacology from the the American Association for Emergency Psychiatry and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Emergency Child Psychiatry Committee sought to create consensus guidelines for the management of acute agitation in children and adolescents in the ED. Results/UNASSIGNED:Consensus found that there should be a multimodal approach to managing agitation in the ED, and that etiology of agitation should drive choice of treatment. We describe general and specific recommendations for medication use. Conclusion/UNASSIGNED:These guidelines describing child and adolescent psychiatry expert consensus for the management of agitation in the ED may be of use to pediatricians and emergency physicians who are without immediate access to psychiatry consultation.

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. Careful observation and multidisciplinary collaboration is important. Medical work-up of agitated patients is also critical. 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.

OBJECTIVE: Most youths experiencing a psychiatric crisis present to emergency departments (EDs) that lack the specialized staff to evaluate them, so youths are often discharged without appropriate mental health assessment or treatment. To better understand the needs of this population, this study described clinical details and disposition associated with visits for psychiatric emergencies to a specialized ED staffed 24/7 by child psychiatrists. METHODS: Through retrospective chart review, 1,180 visits to the ED during its first year of operation were reviewed for clinical characteristics, prior service utilization, and demographic characteristics. Bivariate analyses (chi-square test and Wilcoxon rank sum test) compared differences in disposition (evaluate and release, brief stabilization, and inpatient psychiatric admission) associated with characteristics of the children's first visit (N=885). Measures with bivariate association of p<.10 were further assessed by using multinomial logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: For most visits (59%), children were evaluated and released, 13% were briefly stabilized, and 28% were admitted for psychiatric treatment. Youths with mood or psychotic disorders were more likely to be admitted, as were those with current suicidality or aggression. Many youths who presented with aggression were also identified as having suicidality or self-harm. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical factors, especially suicidality, predicted psychiatric admission. Admission rates for youths with suicidality were significantly higher in this study than previously reported, suggesting the availability of child psychiatrists in this ED allowed greater ascertainment of suicide risk (and thus hospitalization to mitigate that risk) than occurs in EDs without such staffing.

Objectives: More and more youth are presenting to emergency departments (EDs) in psychiatric distress. Many of these youth present with agitated behavior or aggression as a result of psychosis, anxiety, mania, intoxication, or in relation to underlying behavioral disorder. Agitated patients can be dangerous to themselves, staff, and other patients in the ED and may require restraint. Although reduction of restraint and injury is a priority of every ED, there are little published data on the use and efficacy of PRN medications to treat or prevent acute agitation. In the absence of evidence-based guidelines, expert guidance is needed to assist clinicians in choosing effective and appropriate PRN medications for acute agitation. Methods: The Delphi method for consensus guideline development was used by a team of ED-based child and adolescent psychiatrists from across the United States. By use of an iterative, blinded process to reduce bias, participants reviewed existing or published PRN medication algorithms and guidelines for acute agitation and then developed consensus guidelines with identification of areas of dissension and need for further research. Results: There were significant variations in preferred medications across geography and type of ED setting (medical vs. psychiatric ED). Participants emphasized the importance of nonpharmacologic de-escalation strategies; clinical diagnostic assessment, even in the moment of acute agitation; consideration of individual patient factors in choosing medications; and careful monitoring for efficacy and adverse effects. A range of medications, including antipsychotic drugs, antihistamine, benzodiazepine, and a-adrenergic medications, was recommended. Conclusions: There are currently no AACAP Practice Parameters for the psychopharmacological management of agitation, and there is little published literature comparing effectiveness of different PRN medications or comparing those medications to placebo. Expert consensus guidelines such as these provide much-needed guidance to ED clinicians. These guidelines also demonstrate areas where further research is needed, especially into the comparative efficacy of different PRN medications in patients of different ages, clinical presentations, and diagnostic/treatment history

Objectives: Youths increasingly present to emergency departments (EDs) with agitated behavior or aggression attributed to psychosis, anxiety, mania, or intoxication or related to underlying behavioral disorder. They can be dangerous to themselves, staff, and other patients in the ED and may require restraint. Although reduction of restraint and injury is a priority of every ED, there are little published data on the use and effectiveness of PRN medications to treat or prevent acute agitation. Further work is needed to understand PRN usage and identify efficacy of different PRN medications to guide clinical practice. Methods: This report describes the use of PRN medications during restraint events in a specialized child psychiatric emergency program between the program's opening in 2011 until December 2016. During this period, 8,800 youth (ages 2-17 years) were seen, and 185 experienced restraint. Chart review examined patient demographics, diagnosis, medication utilization, and efficacy. Results: The youth who experienced restraint ranged in age from six to 17 years. Diagnoses included internalizing, externalizing, and developmental disorders, as well as substance intoxication. The medications used predominantly included most commonly diphenhydramine, chlorpromazine, haloperidol, lorazepam, and risperidone, among others, at a range of doses. Documented efficacy of medication varied significantly as we will report. Conclusions: There are currently no published consensus guidelines for the psychopharmacological management of agitation and little published literature comparing effectiveness of different PRN medications or comparing those medications to placebo. A review of PRN prescribing practices in a specialized child psychiatric emergency program, where all patients are treated by child and adolescent psychiatrists, illustrates the range of medication usage and the varying degree of efficacy of these medications. Further research is needed into the effectiveness of PRN medications, as is professional guidance for choice of medication and dose

Youth with psychiatric and behavioral complaints commonly present to emergency departments (EDs), which often lack dedicated mental health staff. This article addresses techniques EDs can use to better care for children in need of psychiatric assessment and medical clearance, specifically addressing the evaluation of youth with suicidal ideation and coexisting medical and psychiatric needs. The evaluation and management of youth with agitation and aggression are also discussed. The article concludes with a discussion of systems changes needed to truly improve emergency care for psychiatrically ill youth.