emDocs - June 21, 2021 - By Gabrielle Bunney and Dana Loke
Reviewed by: Cynthia Santos; Tim Montrief; Alex Koyfman; Brit Long
„Take-home points
- Safety of patients and staff takes precedent in the setting of excited delirium and may warrant the use of restraints and chemical sedation.
- Supportive care is paramount, as these patients can be incredibly sick. Assess for electrolyte abnormalities, rhabdomyolysis, and hyperthermia, and treat accordingly.
- First line agents are benzodiazepines.
- Ketamine is an appropriate second line medication in the ED, although its use in the prehospital setting is still controversial“