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Emergency Department Violence Stories

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Threw a chair, threw an EKG machine

I was evaluating a patient who was homeless, brought in by police, and reporting chest pain. As the technician began connecting him to the patches and wires of an electrocardiogram (EKG) machine, the patient suddenly became agitated.

He grabbed the EKG machine and threw it against a wall. He threw a chair at me, luckily, he missed. Then, he punched a nurse.

- An emergency physician from California 

Pulled out a knife

Someone showed up at my ED entrance and said they needed help.

"I know where you live"

I had a patient tell one of my colleagues, “I know where you live and what car you drive.”

Had security in a choke hold

A patient was walked back to his room after attempting to leave. When he got to the room, he attacke...

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