A 72-year-old man with a long-standing diagnosis of schizophrenia living in a board and care home was brought to the hospital by the police because of altered mental state and agitation. The patient was combative both in the ambulance and in the emergency department (ED). He was prescribed lorazepam 1 mg IM in the ED, but the agitation did not subside. The patient was noted to be disoriented to time and place. He attempted to hit the nursing staff, and thus was placed in leather restraints. The patient continued screaming obscenities. He then received 2 mg of haloperidol IM and an additional 2 mg of lorazepam, which made him somnolent. Laboratory findings indicated the presence of a urinary tract infection.
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Leigh, H. (2007). Delirium, Dementia, Alcohol Intoxication, and Withdrawal Syndromes. In: Handbook of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-69255-5_7
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