Smart safeguards for the ED.

Health care facilities can prevent violence in the ED by engaging staff and local police in security planning and education.

Violence in the emergency department.

The spillover of societal violence continues to escalate in emergency departments (EDs) in the United States. The violence is not limited to urban, inner-city environments; it extends into the rural areas as well. Preventive techniques need to be addressed. An overview examines risk assessments, preventive strategies, security systems, and staff education.