Hospital Course
Over the course of hospitalization, Mr. J made frequent verbal threats to staff and other patients, and he particularly targeted and frightened a vulnerable patient in the unit. Three weeks into his hospitalization, he was denied discharge after a court hearing. This resulted in increased agitation, and he began making gang-related threats to staff and peers. He also started refusing and “cheeking” medications. Several days later, he entered the nursing station and destroyed a fax machine after he allegedly misinterpreted a statement made by a staff member. He required physical restraint, and in the course of being medicated, he kicked a nurse. Subsequently, additional antipsychotic medication was prescribed on an as-needed basis. Mr. J minimized the incident, reporting that he intended to kick the medication away and not to hurt anyone. In light of this incident and mounting threats to the vulnerable patient on the floor, he was transferred to another psychiatric unit.
On the new unit, Mr. J was initially managed on one-on-one observation for his and others’ safety, and he was able to maintain behavioral control. However, he 2010quickly began to manifest poor frustration tolerance and limited self-control, and he stated that he preferred to be rearrested and returned to jail. He began fashioning weapons, which he turned over to staff. On hospital day 45, he became physically threatening and brandished a toothbrush at a housekeeper whose work was preventing Mr. J from using the telephone. Staff also discovered that Mr. J had defaced the walls of his room with gang-related graffiti and homicidal threats. Two days later he received unscheduled antipsychotic medication for threatening behavior and attempting to assault another patient who reportedly made insulting comments. The following day, while discussing his feelings with the attending psychiatrist, he ran across the room and repeatedly struck the same patient without warning or provocation. When staff members approached, he stopped the assault and accepted sedating medications but refused to engage in discussion about the incident.
Clinical reassessment focused on Mr. J’s past trauma, and fluoxetine was added to his medication regimen. Over the following weeks, he was able to identify appropriate strategies for coping with frustration, and although he was not able to use them consistently, his behavior improved enough that he no longer required one-on-one monitoring. Nonetheless, on day 75 of his admission, when a tentative treatment plan to release him before the holidays was reconsidered because of suicidal threats and provocative behavior, he punched a wall. Over the next 3 days, after he learned that his mother had been to the emergency department with a fever, he became extremely distraught and began seeking reassurance from the staff.
With the planned departure of the psychiatric resident with whom he had been working, Mr. J began perseverating on his own discharge issues, and at treatment team meetings he would shout demands at the staff. After one of these meetings, Mr. J was noted to be talking loudly on the pay phone. A psychiatric resident who was not involved in his care walked past the pay phone, and for no apparent reason, Mr. J suddenly rushed after the resident and struck him on the side of the head with a closed fist. Mr. J was quickly restrained to prevent further assault, but he remained verbally threatening and attempted to lunge at staff again. He received multiple doses of sedating antipsychotic medications and remained in wrist and ankle restraints for several hours afterward because of extreme agitation and threatening behavior. He was then arrested and transferred to a forensic unit for ongoing stabilization.