The “difficult” patient label and all of its synonyms have been used widely in medicine.<sup>8 John C., Schwenk T.L., Roi L.D. , e al. Medical care and demographic characteristics of difficult patients 1987 ;  24 : 607-610

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti, 13 Maoz B., Antonovsky H., Ziv P. , e al. The family physician and his “nudnik (bothersome) patients”: An exploratory study Isr J Psychiatry Relat Sci 1985 ;  22 : 95-104

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti, 17 Shocket B.R. The difficult patient in the general hospital Am Fam Pract 1973 ; 95-99

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti, 20 Strauss A. “Shpos.” South Med J 1983 ;  76 : 981-985

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti</sup> This label has been used to define patients who are medically challenging, interpersonally difficult, psychiatrically ill, chronically medically ill, or lacking in social support. Medical conditions with little or no likelihood of being cured or alleviated are sometimes especially troubling to physicians.<sup>9 Klein D., Najman J., Kohrman A.F. , e al. Patient characteristics that elicit negative responses from family physicians J Fam Pract 1982 ;  14 : 881-888

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti</sup> Patients who are manipulative or undesirable are often viewed as difficult.<sup>14 Melling P. How to cope with the manipulative patient Austr Fam Physician 1985 ;  12 : 725-728

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti, 15 Papper S. The undesirable patient Journal of Chronic Disease 1970 ;  22 : 777-779  [cross-ref]

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti</sup> Previous studies analyzing the phenomenon of the difficult patient have been mainly restricted to primary care and psychiatric settings.<sup>2 Corney R.H., Strathdee G., Higgs R. , e al. Managing the difficult patient: Practical suggestions from a study day J R Coll Gen Pract 1988 ;  38 : 349-352

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti</sup> An understanding of the difficult patient in the emergency department (ED) and of some techniques to minimize these difficulties are essential tools to emergency medicine physicians.