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Physical assaults by psychogeriatric patients: Patient characteristics and implications for placement
Author(s) -
Eastley Rebecca,
Mian Ihsan
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
international journal of geriatric psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.28
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1166
pISSN - 0885-6230
DOI - 10.1002/gps.930080610
Subject(s) - hospital admission , injury prevention , medicine , poison control , dementia , suicide prevention , psychiatry , occupational safety and health , human factors and ergonomics , pediatrics , medical emergency , disease , pathology
The case notes of 137 patients admitted to a psychogeriatric assessment ward over 12 months were reviewed. The characteristics of patients who were assaultive prior to, or during admission were compared with those who were not. The reported prevalence of assaultive behaviour from the case notes was compared with that from the formal ‘violent incident’ forms. Twenty‐three per cent of the patients had assaulted others prior to their admission, and 23% were assaultive during their admission. Those patients who were assaultive prior to admission were likely to be assaultive during their admission. Assaultive behaviour prior to and during admission was associated with male gender, dementia, and increased age in female patients. Assaults were underreported on the formal ‘violent incident’ forms by nursing staff. Assaultive behaviour prior to admission predicted discharge to a higher dependency setting, but assaultive behaviour during admission did not. The implications of these findings are discussed.