The incidence of battery in an urban emergency department.

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To determine the incidence of battery against emergency department medical staff by patients or visitors.

DESIGN

Prospective descriptive study over a nine-month period.

SETTING

A university-affiliated ED Level I trauma center with an annual census of approximately 64,000 located in a major metropolitan area.

PARTICIPANTS

All staff members who had been punched, kicked, grabbed, pushed, or spat on by a patient or visitor while on duty in the ED.

INTERVENTIONS

Questionnaire that was completed after the incident.

RESULTS

During the study period, there were 19 instances of violence against staff by patients. Staff members were punched six times, kicked seven times, grabbed three times, pushed once, and spat on twice. Blows usually were sustained on the face or head (seven) or on the extremities (seven). In only four cases were hospital incident reports filled out, and in no case was there an injury serious enough to require ED treatment or disability leave. The assailant was usually male (15 of 19, 79%) and usually on a psychiatric or substance abuse detainment (15 of 19, 79%).

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that instances of battery in an urban university hospital ED usually are not serious and are committed by patients on a psychiatric or substance abuse detainment.