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Emergency Department Violence Stories

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Ripped the sink off the wall

We were short-staffed and had no available beds. This patient needed to be treated in the hallway and was not happy about it. He attacked the technicians who were doing CT scans. The staff barred themselves in the control room, but the patient ripped the sink off the wall and threw it through the control room window. The CT area flooded, and the patient had to be tasered.

- An emergency physician from Pennsylvania 

Violent after seven days boarding

My colleagues are regularly assaulted.

He bit a nurse

My patient spit on and punched staff and had to be restrained even before a basic medical screening.

Reporting does not change anything

The threats are almost daily.

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