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 .
Transition from ziprasidone im to oral formulation in agitated patients with acute exacerbation of schizophrenia: an open trial.
INTRODUCTION A transition from IM to oral formulation of an antipsychotic agent is often required during the long-term management of schizophrenia . This multicenter trial evaluates the IM/oral sequential administration of ziprasidone in agitated subjects with an exacerbation of schizophrenia . METHODS Adult patients requiring IM therapy for schizophrenic symptoms were assigned to IM ziprasidone 10 mg for 3 days , followed by oral ziprasidone ( initial dose : 80 mg/day ) for 8 weeks . The primary efficacy outcomes were the change in the total PANSS and in the CGI-S scores vs. baseline values . RESULTS In total , 150 patients were included in the study . A decline in the PANSS and CGI-S scores was observed throughout the study ( p < 0.0001 vs. baseline ) : these reductions became significant at the point of transition from IM to oral formulation ( p < 0.0001 vs. baseline ) . DISCUSSION Even with the limitations of any non-comparative study , these results suggest that the IM/oral sequential administration of ziprasidone is an effective and well tolerated therapeutic option in the management of acute exacerbations of schizophrenia in agitated patients
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 .