Management of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia in general emergency departments: A national survey
Type de matériel :
29
The management of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) is complex and may require referral to an emergency department. The main objective of this study is to review the practices of French emergency physicians regarding the management of BPSD, their knowledge, and their skills in this domain. This observational and quantitative study was conducted between March 2021 and July 2021, using an online questionnaire sent to all doctors working in the emergency department in France. Among the 188 respondents, 72.9% declared that they were often or very often confronted with patients with BPSD, and 82.5% declared that they had little or no knowledge of BPSD. First-line treatment was non-pharmaceutical for 63.3% of the respondents. When medication was used, short half-life benzodiazepines were preferred. There was also significant use of first- and second-generation neuroleptics and antihistamines. Emergency physicians seemed to have a good knowledge of dedicated BPSD pathways, but few used them. This study therefore promotes the training of emergency physicians in BPSD and the development of dedicated departments.
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