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Table 1 Mean VAS Scores, standard deviations, confidence interval, mean SOAS total score by max score in each column and SOAS-RE severity points assigned (n = 291)

From: The Staff Observation Aggression Scale – Revised (SOAS-R) – adjustment and validation for emergency primary health care

   

VASa severity score

  

SOAS-RE column

Categories

n

Mean

SD

95% CI

Mean SOAS-RE total scoreb

SOAS-RE points assignedc

1. Provocation

Had to wait/ was denied something/disagrees about advice

191

43.1

26.8

39.3–46.8

9.5

0

No understandable provocation

78

50.9

26.6

45.2–57.4

10.4

1

Involuntary assessment

22

45.8

24.3

36.2–55.8

13.8

2

2. Means used by aggressor

Verbal aggression

98

30.9

20.4

26.0–35.2

7.3

0

Threats/ordinary objects

79

46.5

25.7

40.6–52.4

9.7

1

Parts of the body (hand, foot, other)

99

55.3

26.9

49.9–60.7

12.4

2

Dangerous objects or methods

15

69.6

18.7

59.5–78.3

14.1

3

3. Target of aggression/victim

Nothing/nobody

5

71.2

37.2

37.6–92.2

9.0

0

Objects

6

46.9

17.2

34.3–59.5

9.2

1

Staff member/security/police

247

44.3

26.2

41.1–47.6

9.9

3

Other patients/persons

33

49.5

29.3

39.3–58.9

11.3

4

4. Consequence(s) for victim(s)

None

77

32.9

25.0

27.6–39.1

5.4

0

Object(s) damaged

2

50.5

2.1

49.0–52.0

8.0

2

Psychological stress

74

40.1

25.1

34.4–45.9

9.0

4

Felt threatened

109

55.2

24.5

50.5–60.0

12.3

6

Physical consequences (pain, injury, need for treatment, taken off duty)

29

55.4

27.5

45.4–65.5

16.7

9

5. Measure(s) to stop aggression

None/talk with patient/took the person aside/complied with the person’s wish

158

38.5

24.9

34.6–42.6

7.8

0

Asked the person to leave/medication

74

50.1

25.0

44.7–56.0

11.5

2

Held with force/forced to leave

59

58.1

27.8

51.2–64.7

14.2

4

  1. aVAS visual analogue scale, SOAS-RE Staff Observation Aggression Scale -revised emergency, SD Standard deviation
  2. bMean SOAS-RE total score gives the mean total sum scores for all incident reports where this alternative had been reported
  3. cSOAS-RE points assigned shows the severity score given to each alternative within the individual column