ABSTRACT
I. DEATHS OCCURRING DURING ARREST — THE EXCITED DELIRIUM SYNDROME (EDS)
A. Delirium
is characterized by an acute — minutes to hours — temporary disturbance in consciousness and thought. There is: 1. Disorientation 2. Disorganized thought processes 3. Inability to distinguish reality from hallucinations
4. Disturbances in speech 5. Disorientation to time and place 6. Misidentification of individuals
B. When delirium is accompanied by violent behavior, it becomes
excited delirium
. Nursing protocols recommend a
minimum
of six personnel to physically restrain an individual in the throes of excited delirium.
