An 84-year-old man was in fair condition yesterday at Allegheny General Hospital after surviving what police described as a vicious assault with a wooden chair last week by his much-younger roommate at a Beaver County hospital.

Joseph Frank of Rochester suffered a broken nose, jaw and eye socket, a fractured leg and ankle and "massive head trauma," according to a criminal complaint by the Brighton Police Department.

Police charged Patrick J. Brown, 48, of Beaver Falls with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, simple assault and reckless endangerment. He is being held on $25,000 bond.

Police said Mr. Brown was sedated before the incident and noted that officers had a difficult time understanding him.

Mr. Brown told Sgt. Pete Benedict that "he thought the nurses were going to give him drugs and that's why he hit Mr. Frank," according to a police affidavit.

Beaver County District Attorney Anthony Berosh said in roughly 30 years as a prosecutor he had never seen a case in which one patient assaulted another.

The two men apparently shared a room at Heritage Valley Beaver when the assault occurred around 11 p.m. July 16.

Mr. Brown closed the door to his room and blocked it with a wheelchair, the affidavit said. He then threatened nurse Bonnie Buchko when she went to investigate, according to police.

Ms. Buchko called security. She pushed the door open, stuck her hand through and tried to push the chair out of the way. Mr. Brown told her, "If you don't want your hand taken off, get it out of the door," the affidavit said.

Hospital security opened the door and found Mr. Frank in his bed bleeding. Mr. Brown admitted to assaulting Mr. Frank, the affidavit said.

Ms. Buchko said Mr. Frank told her, "He beat me," according to the affidavit. Mr. Frank added that Mr. Brown struck him three times with a chair.

The hospital declined comment.

Calls to Brighton police were not returned.

The state Health Department tracks patient assaults and investigates them, Holli Senior, a department spokeswoman, said. Reports, however, are confidential.