GENERAL INTERNAL MEDICINE

Know features of agitation resulting from different causes

Explanation:   

One frequently sees agitation as the primary presentation of many problems. Selected causes of agitation and how the case could be presented are described here.

Borderline personality- History of difficulty with relationships. Likely to have criminal record. Problems with authority.

Bipolar Affective Disorder - Usually described as a change in personality over weeks to months, with features to include excessive spending, uncharacteristically long conversations, feelings of excessive well-being.

Phencyclidine (PCP) ingestion - Acute personality change, often manifested by violent behavior and failure to recognize painful consequences of actions (a classic presentation is the person who punches through an automobile windshield and does not feel the pain of broken bones until the next day).

NEVER forget hypoxia and hypoglycemia as causes of agitation as  they are easily correctable but  if missed - they are fatal.