Physical restraint and chemical sedation of the agitated patient are among the most dangerous things we do, both for patients and for providers. In the past few years, there have been multiple incidents involving tragic outcomes for patients and criminal and civil liability for EMS providers and law enforcement. This session will equip providers with the knowledge needed to avoid the major pitfalls of physical restraint and chemical sedation. We’ll explore the pathophysiology of death in custody, the controversies around excited delirium and the dangers of prone restraint. We’ll utilize footage of actual incidents to inform our discussion. We’ll explore the impact of implicit bias on providers in high stress situations. Our emerging understanding of these issues requires us to revise our approach to the management of agitated patients. We’ll reframe the EMS approach to physical restraint and chemical sedation in order to significantly reduce the risk of death for our patients and liability for EMS providers and law enforcement.
ALS/BLS: Core - Psych