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Agitation

• Overview
• Treatment

Alternative Names:

Restlessness

Home Care:

A calm environment, plenty of sleep, adequate lighting, and any measure to reduce stress may help to decrease agitation. Avoid restraining an overly-agitated person if possible, since this usually makes the problem worse.

Communication of feelings is important.

Call your health care provider if:

• There is prolonged or severe agitation, especially if accompanied by other unexplained symptoms.

What to expect at your health care provider's office:

Your health care provider will obtain a medical history from either the patient or a family member and do a physical examination.

To help better understand your agitation, your doctor may ask the following:

• Type
  • Is the patient more talkative than usual or is there a feeling of pressure to keep talking?
  • Does the patient show increased purposeless activity (e.g., pacing, hand wringing)?
  • Is the patient extremely restless?
  • Is the patient trembling or twitching ?
• Time pattern
  • Was the agitation a short episode?
  • Is the agitation persistent?
    • How long did it persist -- for how many day(s)?
• Aggravating factors
  • Does the agitation seem to be triggered by reminders of a traumatic event ?
  • Did you notice anything else that may have triggered agitation?
  • Does the patient take any medications, in particular, steroids or thyroid medicine?
  • How much alcohol does the patient drink?
  • How much caffeine does the patient drink?
  • Does the patient use any drugs, in particular, cocaine, narcotics, or amphetamines (speed)?
• Other
  • What other symptoms are also present?
  • Is there confusion, memory loss, hyperactivity, or hostility (these symptoms may play an important role in diagnosis).

Diagnostic tests may include:

• Vital signs (temperature, pulse , rate of breathing, blood pressure )
• Blood studies (such as CBC , blood differential , thyroid studies, drug screening)
• Head CT scan or cranial MRI (head)
• Lumbar puncture
• X-rays of the skull

• Review Date: 10/17/2005
• Reviewed By: Christos Ballas, M.D., Attending Psychiatrist, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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