whilst i have been the victim of violence in other areas of work, in my current job in a cardiac intensive care we usually get violence from the lovely old people that we have performed major heart surgery on, as many succomb to what is known as 'post pump syndrome'. i vividly remember a pt who was very confused one day after open heart surgery, who in the middle of the night (whilst the nursing staff were treating a very poorly man and took their eyes off the pt for one second) climbed out of bed, ripped his central line out of his neck, picked up a drip pole which had infusion pumps attached (so VERY HEAVY) and used it like a viking battle axe. i had to pick up a office chair and fend him like a lion tamer, as he was advancing towards a sedated and intubated patient who could not be got out of the way. it took 6 grown men to take him down. we had to be very careful using force as he had recently had major surgery and we could have killed him. thankfully with some sedation we were able to sort him out and he made a full recovery, i decided that that was the wrong day to give up smoking. i since have. he weighed only 50 kg!!!!!!!!!!