Agitation

See all Pictures & Images

What to Expect at your Health Care Provider's Office

Your health care provider will obtain a medical history from either the patient or a family member and do a physical examination.

To help better understand your agitation, your doctor may ask the following:

• type
  • Is the patient more talkative than usual or is there a feeling of pressure to keep talking?
  • Does the patient show increased purposeless activity (e.g., pacing, hand wringing)?
  • Is the patient extremely restless?
  • Is the patient trembling or twitching?
• time pattern
  • Was the agitation a short episode?
  • Is the agitation persistent?
    • How long did it persist -- for how many day(s)?
• aggravating factors
  • Does the agitation seem to be triggered by reminders of a traumatic event?
  • Did you notice anything else that may have triggered agitation?
  • Does the patient take any medications, in particular, steroids or thyroid medicine?
  • How much alcohol does the patient drink?
  • How much caffeine does the patient drink?
  • Does the patient use any drugs, in particular, cocaine, narcotics, or amphetamines (speed)?
• other
  • What other symptoms are also present?
  • Is there confusion, memory loss, hyperactivity, or hostility (these symptoms may play an important role in diagnosis).

• Vital signs (temperature, pulse, rate of breathing, blood pressure)
• Blood studies (such as CBC, blood differential, thyroid studies, drug screening)
• Head CT scan or cranial MRI (head)
• Lumbar puncture
• X-rays of the skull