[Aggressive conflicts in physician-patient relations in the course of inpatient treatment--considerations based on...

Physical attacks of patients against the treating therapist during hospitalisation are severe complications in the treatment process, creating a variety of problems for all those involved. Partly due to taboo, literature almost does not deal with physical attacks, although they are likely to be a rather common phenomenon. Contrary to this tendency, it seems fair to say that as a treatment problem these situations deserve special attention. Causes of aggressive escalation will be examined by means of two case studies. The question as to how to prevent physical attacks as well as ways to deal with them will be reconsidered.