EM Cases · Mental health and behavioural emergencies
Medical screening of the behavioural patient — communication station
ACEM Fellowship OSCE communication station on organic-first behavioural emergency care, de-escalation framing, and lawful least-restrictive care.
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Study tools
Target exams
ACEMFRCEMABEMFRCPCCCFPEMEBEEM
Prompt
A family brings a young adult with new agitation and paranoia; police are present. You must explain medical screening, safety, and the plan including possible sedation and Mental Health Act assessment.
Stem
All persons, presentations and observations in this station are fictional and invented for teaching assessment; they do not describe a real person.
Candidate instructions. The patient is in a quiet room with security nearby after a brief de-escalation; observations are borderline with glucose not yet done. The sister is frightened and angry at assumptions about drugs. Explain priorities, medical screening, safety, and what happens with medication or involuntary assessment.[1]
References1ShowHide
- [1]Ünlü L, Griese JA, Minotti B, et al. Medical screening of adult psychiatric patients presenting to the emergency department. Annals of Emergency Medicine, 2026.PMID 42233919