Most of us will have seen patients like this – agitated, aggressive and often with police or security pinning them down.
- High risk of Cardiovascular Collapse/Death – likely due to adrenaline surge, heat exhaustion and injury. It can happen very suddenly.
- Keep physical restraint to a minimum – Don’t allow patient to forced face down, it’s the most likely way of killing them.
- Sedation – if you’re restraining you will almost certainly need to sedate. IV is best but if access is too risky IM will have to do.
- Aggressive management of underlying issues – esp. hyperthermia and acidosis and look out for rhabdomyolysis and DIC
Refusing treatment = Mental Capacity Assessment [LINK]
| Drug | Route | Typical Dose (mg) | Onset (min) | Duration (min) | Warning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midazolam | IV | 2-5 | 1-5 | 30-60 | Respiratory depression, IM unpredictable onset |
| IM | 5 | 10-15 | 120-360 | ||
| Lorazepam | IV | 2-4 | 2-5 | 60-120 | |
| IM | 4 | 15-30 | 60-120 | ||
| Haloperidol | IV | 5-10 | 10 | 180-360 | Arrhythmia Risk: Only if previously used OR ECG |
| IM | 10-20 | 15-30 | 180-360 | ||
| Ketamine | IV | 1-2mg/kg | 1 | 20-30 | Theoretical risk of worsening cardiovascular instability |
| IM | 2-4mg/kg | 3-5 | 60-90 |
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