Behavioural Emergencies

Question 1

Behaviour

Answer 1

The way people act or perform

Question 2

Behavioural disorder

Answer 2

Disorder of mood, thought, or behaviour that affects a person’s ability to perform activities of daily living

Organic or psychiatric causes

Question 3

Behavioural emergencies

Answer 3

Abnormal behaviour that threatens the health and safety of themselves or others

Question 4

Psychiatric emergencies

Answer 4

Person becomes suicidal, homicidal, or has a psychotic episode

Often delusions (false beliefs) or hallucinations (false perceptions) that result in loss of contact with reality

Question 5

Organic brain syndrome (biological causes of abnormal behaviour)

Answer 5

Suffering from a physical illness or under the influence of a substance that interferes with normal cerebral function

Question 6

Delirium

Answer 6

Global impairment of consciousness and cognitive function that comes on rapidly

Question 7

Dementia

Answer 7

Gradual development of memory impairment and cognitive disturbances, usually over months

Question 8

Psychosocial causes of abnormal behaviour

Answer 8

Cause related to the patient’s personality style, unresolved conflicts, and crisis management methods

Question 9

Sociocultural causes of abnormal behaviour

Answer 9

Related to a patient’s actions and interactions with society

Question 10

Disorders of consciousness

Answer 10

Degree to which a person is aware of and attentive to the external world

Question 11

Disorders of motor activity

Answer 11

Changes to motor activity including restlessness, agitation, compulsions, and stereotyped activity

Question 12

Disorders of thinking

Answer 12

Highest mental function that requires integration of knowledge, perception, and memory

Question 13

Mood

Answer 13

Person’s sustained and pervasive emotional state

Question 14

Affect

Answer 14

Outward expression of a person’s mood

Question 15

Perception

Answer 15

The way a person processes data supplied by the five senses

Question 16

Psychomotor

Answer 16

Relationship between cognitive functions and physical movement

Question 17

Facilitation

Answer 17

Technique encouraging the patient to communicate

Question 18

Confrontation

Answer 18

Pointing out something of interest in the patient’s conversation or behaviour, thereby directing the patient’s attention to something he/she may have been unaware of

Question 19

Sensorium

Answer 19

Sensation, perception, and interpretation of information

Question 20

Dementia criteria

Answer 20

One or more of:

1. Aphasia - impaired ability to communicate
2. Apraxia - can explain but cannot act out a movement of an already learned activity
3. Agnosia - inability to recognize previously known objects

Question 21

Schizophrenia

Answer 21

Significant change in behaviour and loss of contact with reality

Question 22

Key features of excited delirium (AHS protocol)

Answer 22

1. Drug abuse or psych hx
2. Hyperthermia
3. Inappropriate clothing removal
4. Violent/bizarre behaviour
5. Insensitivity to pain
6. Unexpected physical strength
7. Constant/near constant physical activity
8. Shouting/unintelligible noises

Question 23

Three phases of activity preceding death from restraint asphyxia

Answer 23

1. Preintervention phase - patient demonstrates signs of excited delirium
2. Intervention initiation phase - EMS/police respond and recognize need for restraint; a chase or struggle ensues and the patient uses large amounts of energy
3. Continued struggle phase - patient is restrained but continues to exert energy to escape, and will struggle to breath if prone; risk of respiratory and cardiac arrest