Patient-induced trauma: Hospitals learn to defuse violence
(WorldNews Health)

SAN DIEGO - When Mary Prehoden gets dressed for work every morning, her eyes lock on the bite-shaped scar on her chest. It`s a harsh reminder of one of the worst days of her life. Prehoden, a nurse supervisor at Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego, was brutally attacked last year by a schizophrenic patient who was off his medication. He lunged at her, threw her to the ground, repeatedly punched and kicked her, and bit her so hard that his teeth broke the skin and left her bleeding. The incident lasted about 90 seconds, but the damage lingers. `Even if I didn`t have a scar, the scar is in your head,` said Prehoden, 58. `That stays with you for the rest of your life.` Violence against health care...