Physical Restraint and Near Death of a Psychiatric Patient |
| |
| Authors: | Trygve Nissen MD Per Rørvik MD Laila Haugslett MD Rolf Wynn MD |
| |
| Institution: | 1. Division of General Psychiatry, University Hospital of North Norway, N‐9291 Troms?, Norway;2. Additional information and reprint requests:;3. Trygve Nissen, M.D.;4. Division of General Psychiatry;5. University Hospital of North Norway;6. N‐9291 Troms?;7. Norway;8. E‐mail: trygve.nissen@unn.no;9. Division of Addiction and Specialized Psychiatry, University Hospital of North Norway, N‐9291 Troms?, Norway;10. Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Troms?, N‐9291 Troms?, Norway |
| |
| Abstract: | Physical restraint is used as a last resort emergency measure to calm and safeguard agitated and/or aggressive psychiatric patients. This can sometimes cause injuries, and rare fatalities have occurred. One mechanism of injury and death while in physical restraint is that of severe asphyxiation. We present the case of a hospitalized man in his mid‐30s, suffering from schizophrenia. The patient was obese. He became aggressive and had to be manually restrained with a “takedown.” After having been put in the prone position on the floor with a significant weight load on his body, he lost respiration and consciousness. Subsequently, he was given CPR. He regained consciousness and respiration, while the cyanosis receded in 1–2 min. Psychiatrists and pathologists should be aware that physically restraining a patient in the prone position with a significant weight load on the torso can, in rare cases, lead to asphyxiation. |
| |
| Keywords: | forensic science forensic psychiatry physical restraint prone position asphyxiation schizophrenia |
|
|
