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Final Program


Neurocognitive Disorders, Delirium and Neuropsychiatry

PO-171

(PO-171) (PO-171) A descriptive analysis of pharmacological management of aggression and/or agitation in patients with traumatic brain injury in a Southwest Virginia inpatient population

2nd Best Poster
Objective

To describe the psycho-pharmacological agents that are administered to patients with agitation and/or aggression in the context of TBI in inpatient facilities of a private, non-profit health care system in Southwest Virginia and to compare the psycho-pharmacological agents ordered before and after psychiatric consultation.

Setting

Carilion Clinic’s inpatient facilities from March 30, 2013 to March 30, 2018.

Participants

Adult patients admitted with a diagnosis of TBI who received psychiatric consultation for agitation and/or aggression.

Design

Retrospective review of electronic medical records.

Main Measures

Ordered psycho-pharmacological agents, frequency, dosing, and duration of orders, whether each administered psycho-pharmacological agent was started before or after psychiatric consultation, and psycho-pharmacological agents prescribed upon discharge.

Results

About 68% of patients were started on benzodiazepines and/or typical antipsychotics and 23% of patients were subsequently discharged on these medication categories. Only 23% of patients were ordered to receive evidence-based antiepileptics, beta blockers or dopamine agonists for management of agitation in TBI.

Discussion

This study demonstrates the widespread use of typical antipsychotics and benzodiazepines in management of agitation in TBI and the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration, research, and education of providers to improve patient care.

Learning Objectives:

  • To learn which pharmacological agents are commonly used in management of agitation in patients with TBI in a Southwest Virginia inpatient population.
  • To compare the commonly used pharmacological agents commonly used in a Southwest Virginia inpatient population to agents supported by the evidence.

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Elham Rahmani, MD, MPH

    – Assistant Professor, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States

    • Co-Author(s)

  • Tricia Lemelle, MD, MBA

    – Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellow, Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC, United States
  • ES

    Ehsan Samarbafzadeh, MD

    – Psychiatry Resident, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA, United States
  • AK

    Anita Kablinger, MD, CPI

    – Professor and Program Director Clinical Trials Research, CC-VTCSOM, Roanoke, VA, United States