Special Considerations in Trauma Patients

• Published in: Emergency medicine clinics of North America Vol. 33; no. 4; pp. 853 - 861
• Main Authors: Abraham, Michael K., MD, MS, Aquino, Patrick R., MD, Kuo, Dick C., MD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-11-2015
• Subjects: Brain Injuries - complications; Brain Injuries - diagnosis; Brain Injuries - therapy; Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE); Disease Management; Emergencies; Emergency; Humans; Mental Disorders - diagnosis; Mental Disorders - etiology; Mental Disorders - therapy; Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); Trauma evaluation; Traumatic brain injury (TBI); Traumatic brain injury (TBI); Trauma evaluation; Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE); Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• ISSN: 0733-8627; 1558-0539
• DOI: 10.1016/j.emc.2015.07.011

The emergent management of a traumatic injury can be an extremely intense situation. These assessments can be even more difficult when patients have an underlying psychiatric condition. After a protocoled evaluation of the traumatic injuries, the psychological manifestation of diseases can be addressed. The appropriate use of physical or chemical restraints to facilitate the work-up is paramount in the ability of the provider to protect patients and staff from agitated and traumatized patients. The emergency medicine provider should have a low threshold for including psychiatry in the treatment plans, as the long-term sequelae of these entities require specialized treatment.