Psychiatric Emergencies and EMS Care

Vocabulary terms and definitions covering psychiatric emergencies, mental health disorders, and EMS assessment protocols.

Psychiatric Emergency

A situation when a person’s thoughts, emotions, or behavior become so severe that they may harm themselves, harm others, or cannot care for themselves.

Medical conditions mimicking psychiatric problems

Conditions such as hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), stroke, seizure, head injury, drug overdose, alcohol intoxication, infection, hypoxia (low oxygen), and shock.

Anxiety

Feeling extreme fear, worry, or nervousness, often accompanied by rapid breathing, fast heart rate, sweating, and trembling.

Panic Attack

Sudden intense anxiety with symptoms including chest pain, rapid breathing, dizziness, tingling in hands, and a feeling of dying.

Depression

A mood disorder causing persistent sadness, fatigue, loss of interest, poor appetite, and difficulty concentrating.

Psychosis

A loss of contact with reality characterized by hallucinations, delusions, confusion, and paranoia.

Hallucination

A false sensory experience or experiencing something that is not real, such as hearing voices or seeing people who are not there.

Delusion

A false belief held despite evidence to the contrary, such as believing the FBI is watching or aliens implanted a chip.

Schizophrenia

A chronic psychiatric disorder that may cause hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech, or unusual behavior.

Bipolar Disorder

A psychiatric condition characterized by alternating periods of mania and depression.

Mania

A phase of bipolar disorder where the patient is very energetic, has little sleep, talks fast, and has impulsive thoughts.

Behavioral Emergencies

Occurrences when behavior becomes dangerous, involving violence, aggression, threats, or destruction of property.

Excited Delirium

A severe state of agitation and confusion characterized by extreme aggression, superhuman strength, sweating, and hyperthermia.

Hyperthermia

A state of high body temperature, noted as a sign of excited delirium.

Signs of Possible Violence

Observed behaviors including clenched fists, pacing, shouting, threatening language, sudden movements, and an angry stare.

AEIOUTIPS

A diagnostic mnemonic used during the assessment of a psychiatric patient to rule out medical causes for altered behavior.