A 29-year-old man with schizophrenia is brought to the emergency department after threatening another patient. He is pacing, shouting and clenching his fists; his temperature, pulse and blood pressure are normal, and there is no history of alcohol or stimulant use. He refuses to sit down or take oral medication and says, ‘If anyone comes near me, I will hit them.’ Staff have moved other patients away and called for assistance. Which one of the following is the most appropriate immediate management?
Keep going — a set of ten like this one, one at a time.
Practise moreMore from Psychiatry and Mental Health
See allA 42-year-old farmer attends because his wife insisted. She left him four months ago and he has been drinking a bottle of wine most nights. He has lost 6 kg, wa…
Pre-internship · common
A 45-year-old woman with bipolar I disorder, stable on lithium carbonate 1,000 mg nightly for six years with levels consistently 0.7–0.8 mmol/L, presents with t…
Pre-internship · middle twist
A 72-year-old man with Parkinson disease is brought by his wife because he has begun speaking to people who are not present and has become suspicious of her. He…
Clinical rotations · middle twist
A 67-year-old man has become withdrawn and stopped eating over six weeks. He says his organs have rotted and that his family will be financially ruined because…
Clinical rotations · common
A 30-year-old woman is brought by her partner 10 days after giving birth. For four nights she has slept for less than two hours, says the infant has been exchan…
Clinical rotations · common