Non-pharmacological de-escalation techniques used to manage acute severe behavioural disturbance in children and adolescents presenting to emergency departments: secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial.

Abstract

Objective: To describe the frequency and nature of non-pharmacological de-escalation methods used for children and adolescents presenting to emergency departments (EDs) with acute severe behavioural disturbance (ASBD).

Design: Secondary analysis of a randomised, controlled, open-label, multicentre trial of oral olanzapine versus oral diazepam for the management of ASBD.

Setting: Nine EDs in Australia between October 2021 and November 2023.

Participants: Children aged 9-17 years, for whom information on non-pharmacological de-escalation attempts was recorded, who ultimately required oral sedative medication to manage their ASBD.

Main outcome measures: The frequency and nature of the use of non-pharmacological de-escalation methods for children and adolescents presenting to EDs in a state of ASBD.

Results: There were 348 participants enrolled in the randomised controlled trial. This study reports on the 337 of 348 participants (97%) for whom information was recorded regarding non-pharmacological de-escalation attempts during the trial period. Verbal de-escalation was the most commonly attempted technique (96%) followed by active listening (75%). The frequency and nature of de-escalation techniques used were similar across the nine participating sites.

Conclusions: A variety of non-pharmacological de-escalation strategies are used among patients who require oral sedative medication. There is a need for studies to investigate whether there are optimal first-line de-escalation strategies and to determine their effectiveness and order of use in children and adolescents presenting to EDs with ASBD.