For its management , experts agreed in considering  verbal de-escalation  and  environmental modification techniques  as first choice , considering physical restraint as a last resort strategy .
BACKGROUND Psychomotor agitation is associated with different psychiatric conditions and represents an important issue in psychiatry .
Current recommendations on agitation in psychiatry are not univocal .
Actually , an improper assessment and management may result in unnecessary coercive or sedative treatments .
A thorough and balanced review plus an expert consensus can guide assessment and treatment decisions .
Demographics, clinical characteristics, and treatment of aggressive patients admitted to the acute behavioral unit of a community general hospital: a prospective observational study.
OBJECTIVE Aggressive patients are not uncommon in acute inpatient behavioral health units of general hospitals . Prior research identifies various predictors associated with aggressive inpatient behavior . This prospect i ve observational study examines the demographic and clinical characteristics of aggressive in patients and the routine medications these patients were receiving at discharge . METHOD Thirty-six adults diagnosed with a DSM-IV mental disorder who met 2 of 6 established inclusion criteria for high violence risk and a Clinical Global Impressions-Severity of Illness ( CGI-S ) scale score ≥ 4 were observed for a maximum of 28 days on the 23-bed case mix acute behavioral health unit of St Luke 's University Hospital , Bethlehem , Pennsylvania , from January 2012 to May 2013 . Primary outcome measures were the Modified Overt Aggression Scale ( MOAS ) and CGI-S ; secondary measures were symptom outcome measures and demographic and clinical characteristics data . Analysis was conducted using repeated measures methodology . RESULTS Younger males with a history of previous violence , psychiatric admissions , and symptoms of severe agitation were more at risk for aggressive behavior . Positive psychotic symptoms , a diagnosis of bipolar disorder , substance use , and comorbid personality disorders also increased risk . Significant improvements from baseline to last visit were observed for the CGI-S and MOAS ( P < .001 for both ) , with a significant correlation between the MOAS and CGI-S at last visit ( P < .001 ) . Only the symptom of agitation was significantly correlated to MOAS scores at both baseline and last visit ( P < .001 ) . CONCLUSION Patients significantly improved over time in both severity of illness and level of aggression
For its management , experts agreed in considering  verbal de-escalation  and  environmental modification techniques  as first choice , considering physical restraint as a last resort strategy .
BACKGROUND Psychomotor agitation is associated with different psychiatric conditions and represents an important issue in psychiatry .
Current recommendations on agitation in psychiatry are not univocal .
Actually , an improper assessment and management may result in unnecessary coercive or sedative treatments .
A thorough and balanced review plus an expert consensus can guide assessment and treatment decisions .