|
|
Signs and symptoms
- Abnormal behavior.
- Low blood sugar.
- Hypoxia.
- Hypoperfusion.
- Trauma or infection to the head.
- Drug abuse.
- Excessive heat or cold.
Treatment
- Airway, breathing and circulation interventions.
- Be accepting and listen to the patient's complaints.
- Be honest, sincere, and never make any quick movements.
- Never leave the patient alone.
- If restraint is necessary, have others to help. Always use restraints that do not inflict harm.
- Use leather or fabric, not metal chains.
- Patient should be in a supine position.
- Arms should be secured in a position that is folded.
- Never restrain the patient in a prone position.
- Document everything to protect from false accusations.
Medical conditions and mechanisms
- When the brain does not have adequate perfusion, it can experience delirium, confusion, combativeness, or hallucinations.
- Hypoglycemia.
- Hypoxia.
- Hypoperfusion.
- Anything that affects the brain can alter the mind:
- Head trauma or infection.
- Excessive heat or cold.
- Mind-altering drugs: alcohol, depressants, stimulants, psychedelics, narcotics.
- Anxiety: a severe form is a panic attack, which is feeling of intense fear, tension and restlessness that can cause hyperventilation.
- Phobias: irrational fears of something.
- Depression: feeling of sadness, worthlessness and discouragement.
- Bipolar disorder: also called manic-depressive disorder, and causes a patient to swing from being elated at one moment to being depressed at the next.
- Paranoia: extreme mistrust of others to the point of being delusional.
- Schizophrenia: Delusional illness characterized by hallucinations, social withdrawal, distortions to speech and thought, and lack of expressions.
- Mania: unrealistically optimistic.
- Suicidal: patient intentionally wants to end his or her life.
|
|
|
